Soldier's Heart
by PhantasyPhan13
Summary: Handy is still just getting the hang of his Greeneyes ability, but he's got more magical adventures ahead-and so does Clumsy. When Clumsy discovers a pretty rock in the woods, he has no idea it's the reincarnation of the Zjin princess Zeirthra. When Zeirthra meets the Smurfs, she'll have to choose between her desire for revenge and her heart. Will her torn heart finally heal?
1. Prologue: The Bleakness of Triumph

Soldier's Heart

Prologue: The Bleakness of Triumph

"Tiber, no! Spare my daughter, please!" begged the Zjin queen as she desperately backed up against the edge of a cliff with her newborn daughter, Zeirthra, whimpering between her legs.

Not so long ago, the mortal enemy of the Zjin queen's family-and all Zjins, for that matter-had just killed her husband and the rest of her family. That cruel Wolarbearf Tiber had left only her and her barely-born daughter alive, and it didn't look as if he would be as merciful to them, either.

"Be sensible, Zjara! I'm giving you a chance to live. If you only knew the reason that I wanted her, then you'd agree, I'm sure. Come; give her up and save your pathetic hide. Trust me," smiled the beastly creature, showing his dagger-like yellow teeth. His rippling white fur blew in the cold night wind, and his ice-blue eyes narrowed as he slowly stalked closer to the pleading mother and the young princess.

Zjara looked left, then right. She almost hated to do it and wasn't even sure if it was possible, but it was the only choice that Tiber had left her. Grabbing her squeaking daughter under the arms, she launched herself into the night sky. She strained to keep aloft as Zeirthra's weight slowed her down. She was hoping to find a safe place to spend the night, but at this rate, she might not even make it to see the next dawn.

After struggling in the air for a few minutes, her strength suddenly gave out on her, and she started to plummet. Zjara let out a bone-chilling shriek as she and Zeirthra plunged towards the unforgiving ground below. Tiber simply smiled and sat back on his haunches as he enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.

Once he was sure that the mother and the daughter were dead, he slowly climbed down the cliff and into the small, rocky valley that the two female Zjin had fallen into. With a murderous glow in his maleficent eyes, he leaned over the princess' body and whispered words that seemed as dark and ancient as the beginning of time. A few moments later, a strange swirling green wind picked up the body of Zeirthra and whisked her away. Tiber remained silent for a few moments; waiting to see if the mother would wake up. When Zjara didn't move, he tiptoed towards her and ripped into her flesh. Blood dripped down his chin, and he let out a blood-curdling laugh as he savagely devoured the mother's body.

At that moment, all the light seemed to have left the windy landscape. Even the rocks themselves seemed to shiver as the light of the moon went dim and everything faded into inescapable blackness.


	2. Ch 1: The Rock

Chapter One: The Rock

Clumsy eagerly skipped through the woods as he searched for a new rock to add to his collection. It was cold, there was snow on the ground, and a nippy wind was blowing, but he didn't care. He was glad that winter had finally come, and he was looking forward to celebrating Christmas in a couple of weeks.

He adjusted his yellow scarf and looked carefully at the ground. There didn't seem to be any interesting rocks there, but then again he had only been hiking for twenty minutes. Maybe if he just went a little farther, he'd be able to find something really special. He slowly took a step forward to make sure he wouldn't trip and continued to look around for a rock.

Suddenly, he heard a whooshing sound behind him as if something were falling from the sky. Startled, he jumped to the side so he wouldn't be hit, but he slipped in the snow and fell flat on his belly. "Ouch!" Clumsy yelped. He quickly tried to get up. However, his arms got tangled in his scarf, and he just fell over again.

Desperately, Clumsy looked up to see what was falling and managed to get a quick glimpse of a brownish-gray egg-shaped stone with blue-green speckles. Then something hard hit him in the back of the skull, and everything went black.

The next thing Clumsy heard was the roaring gale whistling in his ears. He moaned and rolled over, wishing that the wind would stop so he could go back to sleep. His head was throbbing. All he really wanted to do was get his headache to go away and take a little smurfnap.

Suddenly, he remembered that he wasn't in his bed at home. He had been looking for a new rock, and a strange brown object had hit him in the back of the skull. He must have fainted after that. But what was that weird thing that had knocked him out?

Cautiously, Clumsy opened his heavy eyes and squinted as the blurry forest opened up before him once more. He blinked a few times and slowly waited for his vision to clear. When Clumsy was able to see again, he noticed that the rock was nestled up against his cheek. Cautiously, he got to his feet, surprised at how wobbly he felt. Stars suddenly began to float before his eyes. He leaned against the rock for support and took a few deep breaths, wishing that his head would stop spinning for just a second.

When Clumsy was able to think straight, he stood up and looked at the rock with growing awe. It was really beautiful, in an alien way. Its pattern resembled a brown plain with splotches of green trees, and it almost seemed as if it were keeping some sort of terrible, tragic secret within itself. "Well, it's definitely special…maybe I should take it home," Clumsy mused as he wandered around the rock and admired its spectral beauty.

After Clumsy was finished examining the rock, he walked around to the back and gave it the hardest shove he was capable of. To his great surprise, it rolled a few inches and stopped. It seemed as though it were waiting for him to catch up with it. "Ok…but wait for me!" Clumsy laughed as he scurried after the rock, tripping a few times before he finally reached it and gave it another shove.

For a long time, it seemed that he and the rock were the only ones in the forest. From time to time, a bird chirped or a squirrel scuttled across their path, but it was mostly just Clumsy and the mysterious stone. After about an hour or so, Clumsy began to feel tired. His eyes felt as heavy as iron, and his feet were sore from so much walking. He kept going, however, because a funny feeling in his stomach was nagging him to get the rock to the village as soon as possible, because something awful would happen if he didn't.

Before long, the magical shield that protected the village from outsiders came into view. "Okay, rock…we're here. Just hang in there and we'll be home in no time," Clumsy assured the rock as he gave it one last shove and prepared to enter the village. However, when he tried to push the rock through the barrier, it wouldn't pass. He blinked in confusion; then pushed it again. It still wouldn't budge an inch.

"Huh. That's odd. Maybe there's something wrong with the shield," Clumsy wondered aloud. Tentatively, he took a step forward and pushed his arm into the barrier. Strangely enough, his arm passed through with no problem.

Clumsy was dumbfounded at the impossible situation. He scratched his head and tried to think of a good explanation, but nothing came to him that would clarify the reason why the rock wouldn't go through. "I don't get it! Even Gargamel can go through the barrier, so how come this rock can't?" Clumsy asked, but the rock didn't bother to give him any answers. It just lay silently on the white ground like a stubborn child and didn't make a movement.

"I guess I'll have to leave you behind…see you tomorrow," sighed Clumsy regretfully as he stepped beyond the barrier and entered the village. He realized that he'd been gone longer than he thought. Dinner would probably be served soon, and he was absolutely starving.

Clumsy started running through the village as fast as he was capable of. He knocked over a couple of objects and Smurfs in his path, but he just ignored the catastrophes he'd caused and hurried on. After a time, as he was rushing towards the dining hall, he caught sight of Handy whistling as he fixed a leaky roof. He skidded to a halt and was about to say hello when he noticed a pile of snow on the ground.

Clumsy looked at Handy, then at the pile of snow. He deliberated for a few moments as to whether he should do it or not. After all, Handy might fall and break his arm, or worse. Then he shook his head, rubbed his mittened hands together, and started to roll some snow into a snowball. It was just too tempting to pass up on.

Smiling mischievously, Clumsy carefully aimed and sent the snowball flying through the air. For a few moments, he wasn't sure if it would hit his target or not. Luckily, the odds seemed to be in the young Smurf's favor today. The snowball sparkled teasingly in the sunlight for a few moments, as if it were aware of the fiasco it was about to create. Then it hit the back of Handy's neck with a crisp smack and burst into a million pieces.

"AAAAHHHH!" Handy screamed as he lost his footing on the ladder and sped towards the ground like a blue meteor. Clumsy winced and closed his eyes, wishing that he hadn't thrown that snowball after all. It seemed to be an eternity before Handy finally hit the ground with a soft swoosh and fell silent. "Oh no….he didn't….did he? Oh, I'm such an idiot; I can't believe I just smurfed that…" Clumsy whimpered in distress.

After a few moments, however, he heard Handy muttering under his breath irritably. Relieved, Clumsy opened his eyes and scuttled over anxiously to Handy's side. Handy was breathing hard and holding a hand to his chest, as if he were in shock. He was sitting on a pile of snow with his legs splayed out like twigs. He seemed to be a little dazed, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"Handy, are you okay? I'm so sorry that you fell….it was all my fault, I smurf!" Clumsy apologized as he helped Handy to his feet. Handy just grunted and rubbed his neck. "I guess so. It could've been much worse, though...what on smurf were you thinking of, Clumsy? I could've fallen and smurfed my neck," Handy said as he gave Clumsy a funny look. Clumsy ducked his head and looked up at Handy with big, apologetic eyes. "I…I'm so sorry that I smurfed that, Handy. It's just…..it was too tempting, and I couldn't stop myself," he sighed, hoping that his innocent look would convince Handy that he was truly sorry.

Handy sighed and rolled his eyes as he walked towards the dining hall with Clumsy. He knew he shouldn't really give in so easily, but there was something about that puppy-dog look of Clumsy's that he just couldn't say no to. He noticed that Clumsy was skipping a little faster than normal and seemed anxious about something. "Clumsy, are you all right? You seem a little antsy about something," Handy asked softly as Clumsy skidded to a halt.

Clumsy looked cautiously to the left, then to the right. He wanted so badly to tell Handy about the rock, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

He and Handy had never been really close friends. He'd always been Best Smurf Friends with Brainy since he was little, and Brainy was usually the one he confided in when he had a secret he needed to smurf off his chest. Still, he'd always thought Handy was a really smurfy guy, and he at least seemed to be okay with his eagerness to help. Since Brainy had come down with a case of the sniffles, Clumsy hadn't really been chatting as much with him and had found himself clinging to his frail friendship with Handy.

"Handy….if I told you something that I wouldn't want you to smurf to anyone, would you give me your smurfy promise that you wouldn't tell?" Clumsy finally said. He'd just have to cross his fingers and smurf for the best. Handy stopped and looked Clumsy gravely in the eyes. "Of course I wouldn't! At least, not unless it was something that would put another Smurf in danger; in which case I'd tell Papa and we'd work it out together," Handy replied.

Clumsy sighed in relief and began to tell his story. "Okay; thanks, Handy. So anyway, I found this rock…" Handy raised his eyebrows suspiciously. From the tone of Clumsy's voice, he had guessed that he was going to tell him some sort of personal inner secret. _Oh well, I guess everyone has something that's important to them that nobody else thinks is so smurfy, _Handy thought. He tried to pay attention as best he could, as he knew that Clumsy would be upset if he didn't.

"So….I was walking in the forest when I found this rock, but I didn't find it in a normal way. I was just walking around when something started to fall from the sky. I panicked and tried to leap out of the way, but my arms got tangled in my scarf and I fell down. I was able to get a glimpse of this brown stone thingy, but then it hit me in the head and I smurfed out," Clumsy continued.

Handy was starting to wonder if perhaps Clumsy had imagined the whole experience. "Are you SURE the rock was falling from the sky? Maybe you fainted when you fell on the ground, and the whole stone thing was just a hallsmurfination," Handy suggested tentatively. Clumsy adamantly shook his head. "No, I know it wasn't, because when I smurfed up, I had a smurfing headache."

Handy suddenly felt an almost brotherly concern for Clumsy. "Are you sure you're all smurf, Clumsy? I mean, you didn't get concussed or anything when the rock smurfed you in the head, did it?" Handy asked worriedly. "Really, Handy, I'm fine! Can I smurf on with my story now?" Clumsy protested.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry; it's just that I wanted to make sure that you didn't need to get your head checked out or anysmurf like that," Handy reassured him. Clumsy sighed and resumed telling his story. He would never tell Handy, but sometimes he thought that the inventor was a little bit obsessive about things like leaky roofs sometimes. Or in this case, his aching head.

"So after I woke up, I found the rock right up against my cheek, like it was cuddling with me or something." Handy laughed, but he stopped when he saw Clumsy's hurt expression and nodded encouragingly. "Then I rolled it through the forest and started to take it back to the village. But when I tried to shove it through the barrier, it wouldn't budge."

Handy suddenly turned a pale shade of sky-blue, and his eyes went wide with surprise. "It wouldn't go through the barrier? Are you sure about this?" he asked. Clumsy nodded. "I'm sure. I even stuck my arm through the barrier to make sure it was smurfing properly, and it went through."

"Hmmm…perhaps I should be smurfing this to Papa after all. If this rock really couldn't go through the barrier, then that means it's either a creature of pure evil, or it's carrying some sort of terrible magic secret in it-something that even a Greeneyes like me shouldn't know," Handy said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

Only a couple of months ago, Handy had washed up on a desert island and discovered a whole tribe of nymphs, who claimed he had a strange magical ability called Greeneyes. As it turned out, Handy actually did have this gift, and he was able to use it to save the inhabitants of the island from being obliterated by a stubborn ghost called Capricorn.

Handy didn't really know much about it yet-so far, he only knew that it had turned his eyes a strange shade of green, which seemed to be permanent, and that it gave the user tremendous magical powers. Still, Papa had told him that Greeneyes were some of the most powerful mages in the known world, and that any kinds of magic that a Greeneyes didn't know how to do were considered to be potent and dangerous enchantments that nobody should ever use.

"You really think it's that bad? I didn't think it was evil….I just thought it was a smurfy rock," Clumsy said softly. He hung his head and kicked at the snow; disappointed about his discovery. He had been hoping that Handy would tell him that he was being silly and that it was nothing to worry about. But then again, if it was really something that a Greeneyes didn't control, then he might be putting the whole village in danger.

"Tell you what," Handy said gently as he put a hand on Clumsy's shoulder. "How about you show me the rock, and I check it over before I tell you whether it's really something bad or not?" "Okay. In that case, follow me!" Clumsy replied eagerly as he skipped across the snow. Handy reluctantly followed him; unsure of what to expect. In all likelihood, it was probably just a normal rock, and the barrier was just acting up. But if it was something else…..

Handy shuddered and pulled his scarf a little tighter around his neck. _It's probably nothing to worry about. There's no way that Clumsy found something so bad that even I couldn't figure out a way to tame it, _he thought uneasily to himself. It didn't make him feel any smurfier, though. Handy swiftly wiped some sweat off his forehead and tried to look as calm as possible as he and Clumsy stepped through the barrier. Acting like a nervous wreck wouldn't make the situation any easier.

"Okay…here it is. You go ahead and do your Greeneyes jigamabob now," Clumsy whispered as he backed away from the stone and shot Handy a worried glance. "Ummm…you mean thingamabob, right, Clumsy?" Handy asked, giving out a nervous laugh as he stopped near the stone and touched it hesitantly. It was very cold, and it had an unusual mottled pattern across its surface. Something about it gave him the feeling that it wasn't really a rock at all-it seemed more like an egg, or some sort of arcane magical artifact.

"I guess…" Clumsy trailed off as Handy closed his eyes and tried to probe the essence of the rock. He sent out a stream of energy to it; surrounding it in a sphere of pulsing green light. He tried to scan its depths unsuccessfully. There was no smurf about it: It was definitely hiding some deadly secret. _Come on; you can trust me. I'm a Greeneyes; I won't hurt you…._Handy thought as he tried to coax out the secrets of the stone.

The rock still refused to reveal itself to Handy. _Oh well; I guess it's just a normal rock….boy, did Clumsy sure get smurfed up for nothing, _Handy thought in relief as he slowly opened his eyes and prepared to tell Clumsy the news. However, he didn't get the chance to even speak one word before a strange sensation ripped through him.

As soon as he started to pull away from the rock, a jarring convulsing sensation that was not unlike being electrocuted charged through his veins. Handy gasped in pain and shut off his magic, wondering if it was some sort of delayed response to using his powers for too long. The weird throbbing shot up from his toes to his head. His vision blurred; his muscles went stiff; and his heart began to beat wildly and push against his chest like a dove in a cage.

He thought he heard Clumsy shouting, but he wasn't entirely sure if he was imagining it or not. _Elenbyr! You've come at last. Break me free and let Tiber feel my rage!_ The weird new voicerasped in his head as he fell towards the ground. He squinted for a moment; feeling confused. It definitely wasn't Clumsy's voice, but it wasn't his own inner voice either.

_I knew this wasn't an ordinary rock….it must be an egg after all. Strangely enough, it almost sounds like a female…._Handy thought dazedly as Clumsy caught him mid-fall. He heard the klutzy Smurf shouting again, and this time he could make sense of it. "Handy! Are you all smurf? You almost fainted!"

Handy looked up at Clumsy and managed a very weak smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Clumsy's voice began to echo in his ears; slowly at first, then faster and faster. The words in the sentence blurred and meshed together until they gradually faded away, and the only thing he could hear being repeated was his name.

_Handy….Handy…Handy…Handy…_

Over and over again, he heard Clumsy's voice saying his name. He knew there was some hidden meaning in what he was saying, but he was too groggy to figure it out. He started to fade away into blackness; overcome by the new emotion and too feeble to fight against it. His last thought before he lost consciousness was that Clumsy should never, ever see this rock again, or else the Smurf Village would be thrown into utter chaos and bloodshed.


	3. Ch 2: The Hatchling

Chapter Two: The Hatchling

Adventurette, otherwise known as Ven, clung tightly to the tree branch that she sat on as she scanned the woods with her keen eyes. She had been watching Handy walking into the woods with Clumsy, and she was beginning to get concerned. It had been an hour now, but they hadn't returned yet.

"Geez, I hope Clumsy didn't make Handy break his arm or something…that would be the worst," Ven muttered to herself as she tucked her fiery red ponytail into the hood of her red hoodie dress. She nocked an arrow and aimed towards the woods, just to be safe. You never could tell what might come out of the Smurf Forest some days.

Eventually, she was able to make out the sight of Clumsy dragging another Smurf out of the forest. Even though he was far away, Ven could hear him huffing and puffing like an old man running a marathon. "Serves him right…he's such an idiot, anyway," grinned Ven to herself; preparing to shoot Clumsy in the hat.

As she was aiming, she was able to get a better view of the Smurf that Clumsy was pulling along with him. She suddenly realized that it was Handy, and he looked absolutely awful. His eyes were closed, and he didn't seem to be moving. His face was as pale as early winter ice. His body was totally limp, and although Clumsy kept calling his name, Handy did not respond or appear to show any signs of life.

Ven tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but she wasn't able to stop the tears from welling up in her piercing yellowy-green eyes. "Oh no…what's happened to him? He's so pale! Oh, Handy; please wake up!" she whispered as she gracefully slid down the tree. She hastily slung her bow over her back and ran towards Clumsy as fast as she could.

"Clumsy, what happened to Handy? He looks terrible! We need to get him to Papa Smurf before he gets worse!" Ven gasped. Clumsy stopped for a moment and looked at the ground, as if he were afraid to look her in the eyes.

"I…I don't know! I was showing him a rock that I found in the forest because I wasn't sure if it was something bad, and he started examining it with his Greeneyes thingy," Clumsy explained. "He was going to tell me if it was a bad rock or not, but then his eyes went wide and he started gasping like he was in pain. Then he was twitching and falling over, and I had to catch him before he hurt himself. I tried to ask him if he was okay, but his eyes went all glazy and he fainted!"

"WHAT?! How dare you, you piece of shiitake mushroom! I can't believe you made Handy smurf out!" Ven shrieked. She grabbed Clumsy by the scruff of the neck; forcing him to look in her eyes. If he thought he was going to plead his way out of this one, then he had no idea who he was up against.

"Ven, it wasn't my fault! It was some sort of weird magic in the rock that made him smurf out. Look, I know you hate me, and I don't know why, but you've got to help me! There's no smurfing way that I can carry him all the way home by myself. If you're really concerned about him, then can you please just put up with me for once and help me take him home? Please?" Clumsy begged. He looked up at Ven with hopeless eyes, like a small puppy dog imploring for an indifferent owner to take him in.

Ven shook her head; reluctantly giving in and dropping Clumsy. Clumsy was not one of her favorite people, but she knew she had a duty to help Handy. "Okay, fine. Since it's Handy and I love him, I'll help you take care of him. But just know that this is a one-time-only thing and if something like this comes up again, you'll have to get somebody else to help," Ven warned. "Now, can you please set Handy on the ground so I can pick him up? You'd have to admit that it would be kind of awkward to lift him up in the position he's in right now."

Clumsy smiled in embarrassment; then managed to lay Handy on the icy ground without hurting him. However, he promptly slipped and faceplanted right after he was finished. "Fail sauce," muttered Ven to herself. She just couldn't believe how klutzy Clumsy could be on a daily basis. Then again, that was why he was called Clumsy in the first place. Taking as much care as possible, she tenderly gathered Handy in her arms before draping him over her shoulder and heading back towards the village.

_Geez, he's a little heavier than I expected. Guess he binged on too much pre-Christmas chocolate, huh? _Ven thought to herself. She couldn't stop an amused, private grin from spreading over her face. Meanwhile, Clumsy got to his feet and brushed the snow off his pants. "What? What's so smurfy?" Clumsy asked. He put a finger to his lips and made a confused expression as Ven rolled her eyes and snorted at him.

"Nothing, Clumsy. Nothing at all," Ven lied. Clumsy cocked his head to the side, but he just shrugged and let it slide. For a long time, there was silence between the Smurf and the Smurfette as they trekked through the woods side by side. Even the forest seemed to hold its breath respectfully, as if it knew the seriousness of the situation.

After a while, Ven could see the barrier appear ahead of them. "Alright, Bigfoot….we're here," Ven announced, stepping towards the barrier intently. "But my feet aren't even that big!" Clumsy protested as he followed Ven through the barrier and into the quiet, snow-covered village. "Well, they're bigger than MINE, that's for sure. Not to mention those Dumbo ears of yours," Ven snickered meanly.

Clumsy gulped, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. Why was Ven teasing him about his feet and ears, of all things? Okay, so maybe they WERE a little bigger than those of most Smurfs. But did that give Ven the right to rib him about them? Actually, did she have the right to rib him about anything?

As usual, he didn't have much time to think it over. Before he could try to defend himself, Kat Smurf, Adventurette's younger sister, ran over to them with worry in her stunning yellowy-green eyes that matched her sister's. "Oh, my Smurf! What's wrong with Handy? Does he have hyposmurfia or something?" she said in her soft voice as she skidded to a stop next to Clumsy.

"I…don't know. I was showing him a rock, and he was checking it over with his Greeneyes thing. Then he started to twitch, and he fell over and fainted. Ven was just helping me carry Handy, really. Uh…do you know where Papa Smurf is? I really think that Handy needs to smurf a doctor," Clumsy explained to her.

"The last I saw of him, he was giving Sickly some cough medicine. I think he's in his house. Here, I'll carry Handy for you, sis," Kat said. Ven grunted; then reluctantly handed Handy over to Kat. "You sure you can carry him, Kat? You're kind of tiny for a kitten like you," she teased. Kat just stuck her tongue out, flicked her cat tail, and hefted Handy over her shoulder. Even though Kat was one of the smallest Smurfs in the village, she was surprisingly strong. She could even carry a male Smurf over her shoulder with almost no effort.

"Thanks for the help," Clumsy said. Kat just winked at him and playfully flapped one of her cat ears at him. Kat had gotten the cat tail and ears from a magic accident in Papa's lab when she was just a Smurfling. Even though Papa had promised Kat that he could remove them for her if she wished, she'd decided to keep them anyway. Though he was never sure, Papa had suspected that the cat parts had some sort of impact on her abilities, because after that, Kat had showed noticeable agility-the agility of a cat.

Before long, they arrived at the doorstep of Papa Smurf's house. Kat made sure that Handy was securely positioned on her shoulder before she knocked on the door with her free hand. "Papa Smurf! We need your help! Handy had a magic…incident in the forest, and now he's unconscious! Can you help us?" At this, Ven winced and squeezed her eyes shut. She was very much in love with Handy, and she hated when anything bad happened to him.

The door popped open to reveal the worried faces of Papa Smurf and his wife, Mama Smurf. "Of course! We were just treating Sickly a while ago, but if you ask me, I think he's being a little hyposmurfiac. Come in," Mama said, holding open the door for them.

Kat entered the mushroom first. Ven barreled in after her, causing Clumsy to trip his way into the house. A fire was burning warmly in the fireplace. Sickly was snoring away on the sofa; completely oblivious to what was going on around him. "Hey, hypochondriac; get off the couch and make some room for Handy," Ven whispered. Without warning, she nimbly leaped to Sickly's side and cruelly shoved him off the couch.

"ADVENTURETTE!" Papa scolded. It was too late, however. Sickly landed with a thud on the floor and opened his eyes; startled at being rudely awakened. "W-w-what? W-what's happening?" Sickly stammered as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. "I'm sorry, Sickly, but Handy's in dire need of a place to lie down right now…to be honest, I think he's worse than you are. Do you mind moving so Papa can smurf a look at Handy? Maybe you could go lie down at home," Kat suggested quietly.

Sickly sniffled, then got reluctantly to his feet and shuffled to the door. "Okay, I guess. He does smurf sort of pale. See you later, guys….and thanks for the medicine, Papa Smurf and Mama Smurf," Sickly wheezed. He walked off, leaving the others alone in the mushroom.

"All right, let's take a look and see what's wrong with Handy. Put him on the sofa, and I'll give him a checkup," Papa prompted. Kat gently laid Handy on the sofa and covered him with the blanket that Sickly had formerly been sleeping under. She then backed respectfully away as Papa began to examine Handy.

An intense look of concentration settled on Papa's face as he began to inspect Handy. First, he took his pulse at both wrists, mumbling something to himself as he did so. Then he listened to Handy's heart and lungs and looked in his mouth and nose. Finally, he checked Handy's ears and took his temperature.

The whole time that Papa was looking at Handy, Ven was wincing and gritting her teeth as if her hair were being pulled out by a bull. Medical stuff had always made her very uncomfortable, but she knew she had to let Papa check out Handy if they were to get to the bottom of his condition.

At last, the examination seemed to be nearing its end. However, as Papa was gently lifting Handy's eyelids and examining his eyes, his face turned grave, and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened. "Mama, can you come over here for a moment? Handy's got something very wrong with his eyes," Papa said in a voice so low that it was almost impossible to hear him.

"Of course, dear; I'll take a look right now," Mama replied calmly. She stared into Handy's eyes for a moment, and then nodded as if to confirm something. Papa made a gesture with his hand, and he and Mama began to whisper to one another for several minutes.

"What do you think is wrong with Handy? I mean, he seemed okay until Papa and Mama saw that eye thing…" Clumsy trailed off uncertainly as he fidgeted with his hands. "I'm not sure. I hope it isn't anything serious," Kat whispered back. She sat next to Clumsy and put a hand on his shoulder, making him blush. He had always had a little crush on Kat, and whenever she was nice to him, it always made his heart beat faster and his cheeks turn red.

Papa and Mama finally finished their discussion and turned to face Clumsy, Kat, and Ven. Their faces were calm, but there was an air of worry about their expressions that left even Ven feeling a little nervous for Handy's welfare.

"Well, I think I've figured out what's wrong with Handy, and unfortunately there's really nothing we can do for him. This sort of condition has to clear up on its own. Until he smurfs up, we can't really do much…" Papa trailed off. "We think it's a sort of strange reaction that someone can have to subconscious communication," Mama added, running a hand through her light gray hair. "Tell us….did Handy have any kind of contact with anything before he fainted?"

"I…don't know," Clumsy piped up. "I mean, he was scanning this rock with his Greeneyes thing, and shortly after that was when he started to act up. I was wondering if maybe it was an egg, but I guess I wouldn't be able to tell." "Could you describe the rock? Maybe it would help," Mama asked. Clumsy took a deep breath and began to describe the stone as vividly as he could.

When he was done, Papa was stroking his beard and appeared to be deep in thought. "Hmmm….it almost sounds like it was a Zjin egg. If that's the case, then it makes a lot of sense as to why Handy passed out. You see, subconscious communication is a type of telepathy that allows one to access the subconscious part of a creature's mind. It usually only works if the subject is asleep or in a trance, though. If this Zjin contacted Handy from within its egg, then he might have suffered the side effects of being contacted while he was conscious."

"But Zjins are only in fairy tales! There's no WAY that that thing was a Zjin egg!" Ven protested. "Well, it must have been some kind of creature with a natural subconscious communication ability," Mama insisted. "If it wasn't a Zjin, it must have been a Zuibou. But from what Clumsy described, it sounds more like a Zjin."

Just then, there was a loud rumbling noise, like an earthquake. For a moment, everyone ducked down and covered their heads. When the sound passed, the Smurfs got to their feet, wondering what could have made the ruckus.

"I definitely think it's a Zjin now. Only they are capable of making noises like that when they hatch, and if that Zjin has hatched now…."Papa faltered, unable to finish his thought. Without thinking, Clumsy leapt to his feet and sped out the door. He heard the others calling out his name behind him, but he didn't care about what they were saying. It was his fault that he had found the Zjin egg, and it was his responsibility to solve the mess.

For a moment, he pondered his actions. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to talk to the Zjin face-to-face, after what it had done to Handy. Then he shoved aside his doubts and ran faster than ever. No matter what, he knew he had to protect the village.

…

_Death! Cold! Darkness! Blood! Fire! Fear! Pain! _

Disturbing memories flitted through the Zjin hatchling's mind as she peered fearfully at her surroundings. She wasn't quite sure where or who she was, but she knew that she had to be somebody tragic and important to have her mother killed in such a violent way.

She shuddered and closed her magnificent peridot-green eyes, but she couldn't shut out the images that haunted her young mind. One after another, the scenes repeated themselves: She was whimpering against her mother's leg as a creature that looked like a huge polar bear or an arctic wolf cornered them in front of the cliff. She could smell the creature's foul breath as it tried to blackmail her mother into giving her to him.

Her mother had pleaded with the terrifying beast, but he would not back down. Suddenly, her mother looked to the side, then grabbed her under the arms and launched herself into the bitter night sky. The wolfish creature watched them with cold calmness as her mother struggled to keep airborne. Before long, her wings gave out on her, and they fell towards the earth like a tragic comet.

_"Zeirthra…you can't go," _whispered her mother as she hurtled to her death. _"No matter what, even if I die, you have to go on. Do you understand me?" _She had nodded, but she didn't know what her mother meant. Why did they have to die because of that cruel wolf creature, anyway? She had whimpered, and tears had fallen down her cheeks like rain falling across a window.

Her mother had wiped away her tears and tried to smile bravely. _"Zeirthra, do not worry. Even if I die, we'll always be together. I'll be in your heart, and you'll be in mine. Courage, little one," _her mother had reassured her. She had tried to open her mouth and protest, but she hadn't had time to speak. The next moment, they both smashed into the ground. Her mother let out a cry of pain, and the world had turned black.

The little Zjin shook her head and tried to compose herself. _You must hunt and feed yourself now. If you are to live and avenge your family, you have to take care of yourself first, _she told herself. She slowly inched forward into the snowy landscape, trying to act as if everything was okay.

She suddenly noticed a small creature rushing across the snow. It had strange blue skin and a humanoid appearance, but it looked as if it would provide enough food. The Zjin child crouched in the bushes; preparing to pounce. She tensed her muscles and calculated her aim, then hurled herself forward like a cat jumping on a mouse.

"AAAAAAHH!" screamed the little creature as she landed on top of him and pinned him to the earth. She cocked her head, confused at his outburst. _So, you are sentient? How…fascinating. I had not expected such clever prey to wander into my clutches tonight, _she thought bemusedly.

The tiny creature opened his eyes wide and stared up at her with a blank look of awe and bewilderment on his face. "W…what do you mean, sentient? I don't understand," he stammered in a childlike voice.

The Zjin lowered her head; unable to look him in the eyes. His eyes were a fascinating shade of blue and had the innocence of a child in them. She knew that if she looked at him directly, she'd be bound to him forever. And binding herself to a being this pure and helpless would surely spear her heart one day if he died, just as her mother's death had.

_You have been alive longer than I have, youngling. If you don't know what sentient means, then I do not plan to explain it to you, _she replied harshly, ignoring the hurt expression on the imp's face. _Now, where is the Elenbyr? I know by your voice that you are not him, though oftentimes a person's mental voice is different from their true one._

"You…you mean Handy?" faltered the being as he tried to escape from her talons. She pressed firmly down on his chest and held him still. "If…if that's who you mean, then I don't think he can talk to you right now. Uh…he's sort of passed out in his bed right now. But if you wanted, then you could talk to me about being an Elen-whatever if you wanted," he offered eagerly.

_Elenbyr, child, _she thought with amusement. _Elfblood. Greeneyes. Jaedean. One whose heart pulses with destiny and magic. But sadly, I cannot speak of it with you._

"Wh….why not? I can always tell Handy when he smurfs to," the little creature said, looking up at her for an explanation with pleading eyes. Again, she lowered her gaze and replied with some regret, _No, child. I cannot speak of it with you, because you are not the one. You are but an interloper in the course of fate that we cannot afford to have standing in the way. Leave, or bring me the true one, youngling. Those are your only choices._


	4. Ch 3: Secrets and Fear

Chapter Three: Secrets and Fear

All at once, Clumsy's head began to spin. "But…I just told you, I can't bring you Handy! He's very sick and needs to sleep!" he protested weakly. The Zjin just pinned him down again and glared at him with her intense eyes. _That does not matter. Bring him to me, harrelt! _She roared as her gaze bored into his very core.

Clumsy suddenly became worried that he would faint too. He took a deep breath and tried not to look the Zjin directly in the eyes. "But I'd have to carry him here! Wouldn't it be easier for you to just go to the village and speak with him when he wakes up?" he offered feebly.

_Why are you unable to bring him to me yourself? You're lying, aren't you? You probably want his powers for yourself, _the Zjin questioned, giving him a suspicious glance. At this, Clumsy felt his eyes fill with tears. He gulped hard, trying not to let his feelings show. "No…I've told you three times already! I can't bring you to Handy because he's unconscious and very sick-BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Clumsy shoved the Zjin off him and leapt to his feet, feeling very angry all of a sudden. All his life, he'd been pushed around, ignored, or laughed at. Now, this strange creature was bossing him around for something that was beyond his control, and he wasn't going to stand for it. _Better watch out, Zjin; here comes the new-and-improved Clumsy Smurf, _he thought to himself as he punched the air with his fist.

Clumsy didn't realize that the Zjin had heard his thought, and so he was very confused when she smiled at him and showed her teeth. _Very well; as you say, little hero, _the Zjin replied; delight skittering across her feline face. _In that case, I understand. Climb on my back, and I'll take you home. When we arrive, you can show me the Greeneyes if he is conscious, and if he's not, then I'll have to stay with you until he revives._

"Really? Gosh, that's wonderful! Are you sure?" Clumsy asked, giddy with excitement. The Zjin nodded her head. _Of course I am sure. What are you waiting for? Hop on. _The Zjin knelt in the snow so that Clumsy could clamber onto her back. Clumsily, he crawled up her back and flopped into a spot between the spikes of her neck.

_Are you ready? _The Zjin asked. Clumsy nodded and firmly took a hold of the spike in front of him. "I'm ready," he answered; speaking as confidently as possible. "Do you need directions or anything? It's kind of hard to find the Smurf Village unless a Smurf shows you how to get there."

_No, she_ replied. Clumsy put a finger to his lips and cocked his head to the side. When the Zjin didn't bother to give him an answer, he shrugged and clung to her neck with his knees. "Okay then. If you already know how to get there, then let's go," he laughed nervously, feeling a ball of anxiety begin to form in his stomach.

Without another word, the Zjin unfurled her dragonish wings and launched herself vigorously into the sky. "W-WHOAA!" Clumsy screamed as he clung for dear life to the spike in front of him. The Zjin's body was very similar to a cat's, but she didn't have any fur or hair to cling to, and her froglike skin made it difficult to get a grip on her. Also, her spike was covered with an oily liquid that was very slippery. "T-THIS IS VERY H-HARD! S-SLOW D-D-D-DOWN!" Clumsy stammered while he battled to keep his balance.

_In your dreams, _the Zjin mocked; continuing to speed through the air like a rocket. Clumsy felt his eyes water, but his tears were whisked away by the wind ripping at his face. He broke out in a cold sweat and wondered if he'd come out of this mess in one piece. The Zjin flew like a mad dragonfly. She seemed to be enjoying his discomfort and showed no signs of slowing down.

"A-are we there yet? You're moving so fast that I can't see anything," he complained as his head began to spin. _We'll be there soon, fledgling. Be still, _the Zjin replied irritably. She nimbly dodged a tree and tilted to the left. Clumsy felt so woozy that he lost his grip on the spike. He rapidly fell towards the forest floor with a speed that made his stomach turn.

He had just started to scream when the Zjin caught him with her claws and hoisted him onto her back again. _If you're going to try a crazy stunt like that, then do it where you won't kill yourself, _snapped the Zjin as she swooped towards the forest floor. "T-that wasn't a stunt; I'm just a klutz! Why do you think they named me Clumsy Smurf in the first place?" Clumsy protested. He closed his eyes and prepared to smash into a million pieces on the forest floor.

His life began to flash rapidly before his eyes: His first word; his childhood; his win in the Smurfic Games; the brief perfect memory that had been gifted to him; the fuzzle invasion he'd caused; time traveling and returning home; going to New York and becoming a hero…

_Shut up! We're here! Don't give me the pathetic details of your stupid life! _The Zjin growled. She gradually began to slow down. "Stop it-wait, you can read my mind?!" Clumsy gasped. He hesitantly opened one wary eye.

They had indeed arrived at the village. At least, he thought they had. For some reason, he had a pins-and-needles feeling in his joints, his vision was a little blurry, and he was starting to feel rather light-headed. He was worried that he might fall off again. "G-Golly g-gosh, I-I feel a little d-dizzy. D-do you m-mind helping me g-get off? If you d-don't, I think I m-might faint…" he stuttered. The Zjin just ignored him and landed elegantly amid a circle of bedazzled Smurfs.

_Weakling! You're going to faint just because you have a little Zjin poison in your veins? That's cowardice! It's not going to kill you, you know, _growled the Zjin as she swept her eyes over the crowd of Smurfs. _Just tell me where the Elenbyr is, and then leave me alone. You're incredibly immature, and I don't think I can put up with your dimwitted questions for one more second._

Clumsy felt as if someone were burning his heart. It was hard enough to put up with the Zjin's cruel, barbed retorts. It was even harder to hear her snipe at him when he felt dizzy and sick. Weakly, he slid down her side and collapsed in a heap on a pile of snow. "P-poison? W-what p-poison? You didn't b-bite me," he whimpered. The Zjin just shot him a filthy glare and haughtily replied, _My spikes, you fool; my spikes! Haven't you ever heard that a Zjin carries her poison in her spines? You didn't think that oily stuff was sweat…did you?_

_ Her spines? What on Smurf…_Clumsy thought, looking dumbly down at his hands. They were covered with goopy bluish-green stuff. It made a sickening hissing noise as it slowly singed into his palms, like acid.

_So that's what that slimy stuff was…._Clumsy realized. He closed his eyes wearily. He was feeling quite frail, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay awake. He vaguely heard footsteps approaching him. Then he felt himself picked up and carried away.

"Poor Clumsy….I can't believe the Zjin would trick him like that," he heard Kat mutter angrily. He guessed that she must be the one who was carrying him. _Just take me somewhere where I can be alone….I just want everything to go back to the way it was, before I found that Zjin. Golly, if only I hadn't found that rock…._

Overwhelming guilt suddenly washed over Clumsy. If it hadn't been for him, Handy wouldn't have blacked out. If it hadn't been for him, the village wouldn't have been placed in danger. Everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong. And if it hadn't been for him, everything would have been okay. Clumsy suddenly wished that he was asleep. That way, he could forget the misery he had caused.

The last thing Clumsy heard was Kat whispering worriedly to someone else; telling them to look at Clumsy's hands before he got worse. Then a shroud of darkness surrounded him, and he sank into a deep sleep.

…

Handy could feel a bright light shining on his face. A yellow glow filled his achy eyes, but he was far too weak to open them. His limbs were asleep, as if he had been lying still for days. He couldn't even remember what he had been doing. Had he had a nightmare?

Handy began to hear a quiet voice whispering above him. It sounded like Papa Smurf's voice, but he wasn't entirely sure. The voice spoke again; more clearly this time. Handy was now certain that it was Papa who was speaking. He must have come to take care of him.

"He still hasn't come around yet…..I hope he isn't in a coma or something. You can never tell how hard a victim of subconscious communication will be hit…" Papa murmured. _Subconscious communication? What on Smurf is that? Is that why I'm like this? _Handy wondered. _Then again, I can't even recall why I'm sick in the first place. Did I get the smurf flu? No….there was that creature. Unless I've been dreaming, that had to have been real…_

Handy stirred slowly; hesitant to wake. He felt feverish and sore all over. Even though his eyes were closed, he was able to tell that there was a fire burning in the room from the heat. Soft, thick blankets covered his tired body. He also felt a familiar chunk of warm metal humming under his armpit, but he was unable to identify what it was.

Out of the blue, the piece of metal nudged him. Handy's startled eyes flew open to reveal a robotic squirrel staring into his face with great worry. "Master? Are you all right? You've been asleep for….." the squirrel squeaked concernedly. He scratched his chin with one mechanical claw, like he was trying to remember something.

"….For nine hours, NutBot," Papa finished, rubbing his beard with an exhausted expression on his face. "W-what?! I've been out for nine hours?! You've got to be smurfing me!" Handy gasped as he sat up and fully regained his senses.

Papa just shook his head. "No; you've really been unconscious for that long, Handy. I guess the Zjin's communication caught you off-guard. We've all been really worried about you, especially NutBot. In fact, he's been so upset that he hasn't left your side since he found out that you weren't smurfing well."

NutBot blushed and lowered his head. He loved Handy to pieces, but he was always embarrassed to show it. However, Handy knew what he meant to NutBot and was always glad to see his pet express his feelings.

He smiled gratefully and stroked NutBot's head. "Thanks, NutBot. It was sweet of you to look out for me like that," Handy said. NutBot turned an even brighter shade of red and dove under the pillow. "Oh, that NutBot! You can never tell what he'll do next," Papa Smurf chuckled.

Handy laughed too, but he still felt uneasy. What did that Zjin mean when she called him an Elenbyr and pleaded for him to let her free so Tiber could feel her rage? "Papa Smurf….isn't Tiber a river in Rome?" Handy asked. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer to his question. He had a feeling that that word had more power and tragedy in it than he could ever have imagined in his wildest dreams.

"Well…it depends on the way you pronounce the name," Papa began slowly, looking at his hands. "If you pronounce the name _tie-bur_, then yes, it IS a river in Rome. I guess you've picked up a few things while you've been time-traveling," Papa chuckled.

Handy tried to smile, but he didn't like talking about the brief time he and a few others had spent traveling through time. For a while, they hadn't thought that they would ever see home, but eventually Papa had put the crystals in order and they'd returned. In fact, the experience had upset him so much that he'd gone back to wearing blue overalls, since his old white pairs made him think of the homesickness-inducing experience.

"Anyway, as I was saying, if you pronounce the name the way I just said, it is the name of a river," Papa continued. "However, if you pronounce the name _tee-bur_, then it means something very different-and infinitely more dangerous than a mere river."

All of a sudden, Handy's gut went tight, and he had to grab onto NutBot to support himself. "W-what do you mean? W-who IS this Tiber guy, exactly?" Handy stammered in a fright. NutBot snorted and crossed his arms, trying to look bored. But Handy knew that face very well. When NutBot tried to look indifferent, it really meant that he was actually interested or incredibly terrified. It was even more horrifying when he really showed fear, because that meant that the danger was life-threatening or destructive enough to wipe out a whole world.

"Tiber is the leader of the dominant clan of Wolarbearves. But he isn't just ANY Wolarbearf leader…." Papa trailed off, running his hands nervously through his mustache. "One of his ancestors discovered a secret spring in the territory of a Zjin clan. He lapped up some of the water, and he immediately became seven years younger. He had found a youth spring.

Unfortunately for Tiber's ancestor, a Zjin guard caught him and murdered him for using the spring. Apparently, the Zjins were very protective of it and were dedicated to making sure nobody used it improperly. The Wolarbearves protested against the slaughter of their leader, but the Zjins still defended their actions. The enraged Wolarbearves pillaged the Zjin's territory in the night, which was the beginning of the War of a Thousand Years. This war is still going on to this day, and Tiber is thirsting for victory over his sworn enemies. From what I've heard about him, he believes that if he can destroy the Zjins and find that spring again, he'll be able to increase the lifespan of his people, which is only about fifty-four years."

Handy nodded as he absorbed the information. "Wait-you said that Wolarbearves only live about fifty-four years. How long do the Zjins live, then?" he asked.

"Oh, the Zjins can live to be about ten thousand years old. Nobody is really sure why they live so long, but it could be their dragon genes that give them their longevity. They are composed of three creatures-the dragon, the frog, and the cat. Each of these parts grants them special abilities-"Papa explained. He suddenly paused and slapped his forehead. "Oh, I'm sorry, Handy! I've forgotten how late it is. I guess you probably just want to sleep now, right?"

Handy nodded; covering his mouth as a yawn escaped from him. NutBot snorted and flopped onto the bed, as if disdaining his master's actions. "Well, I suppose I'd better let you sleep now. I'll tell you more about the Zjins in the morning. After all, the Zjin will probably want to contact you again, and I need to tell you what to do so that you won't pass out."

"It's okay, Papa Smurf. I'm so tired that I could probably pass out right now," Handy replied absentmindedly. At this, NutBot clung to Handy's leg and looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. "M-master, please don't f-faint!" pleaded NutBot desperately. Handy breathed out heavily and stroked NutBot's head. "NutBot, relax; I didn't mean it smurfiously," Handy soothed. NutBot could be very dramatic at times, and the last thing Handy wanted was for his pet to have a panic attack at this time of night.

NutBot sighed in relief and closed his eyes. A gentle mechanical snoring could soon be heard from the dozing metal squirrel. "Well, I suppose I should leave so you can follow NutBot's example. Smurf tight, Handy," Papa whispered softly as he tiptoed out of Handy's house and shut the door behind him.

Handy was so exhausted that he didn't even hear Papa's farewell. He lay back on the bed, closed his eyes, and instantly fell into a deep slumber.

…

Clumsy blinked and stretched out his stiff limbs. Morning sunlight was shining on his face, and a breeze was wafting in from his open bedroom window. _I guess I've smurfed for a while…wonder if that Zjin is still here? _Clumsy mused as he sat up in bed and got his bearings. He supposed that Kat must have carried him home after his disastrous ride on the back of the Zjin.

Out of nowhere, a memory from the previous day hit Clumsy like an arrow to the head. He recalled that he had accidentally gotten Zjin poison on his hands while clinging to her back spine, which had made him very lightheaded.

Clumsy glanced down at his hands and discovered that they were swathed in white gauze. _Papa must have bandaged my hands while I was sleeping. What time is it? Have I really been asleep since yesterday? _Clumsy gazed out the window; still in a daze from yesterday's startling events.

A sudden knock on the window made Clumsy jump and fall out of bed. "Ow!" he complained as he got to his feet and rubbed his bruised tail. A few moments later, a Smurfette with brown hair that was almost dark enough to be black popped her head through the window. "Clumsy, it's me, Kat! Are you dressed? Breakfast is almost over!"

"Uh…coming, Kat!" Clumsy answered. He hastily ran into the bathroom and tried to wash up, but unfortunately he got a lot of water on the floor. As he was putting away his toothbrush, he didn't look where he was going and slipped on the wet floor.

Clumsy vainly attempted to stop himself from hitting his head as he fell. However, he wound up landing in an awkward position with his legs stretched out and his face caught between the sink and the trash can.

"CLUMSY?! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT IN THERE?!" Kat yelled from outside. "C-COMING!" Clumsy stuttered. He got to his feet and yanked on a clean pair of pants and a fresh hat. Then he dashed out the door and barged into Kat like a speeding car. Both of them fell to the ground and landed on their tails.

"I-I'm sorry, Kat; I was just in a rush," Clumsy apologized as he helped Kat to her feet. Kat just sighed and shook her head. "It's okay, Clumsy; just look where you're going next time. Now c'mon; let's get to breakfast before Greedy eats your food."

Clumsy smiled and eagerly skipped towards the breakfast table that had been set up outside. Kat always knew what to say to make him feel better.

A few minutes later, they found free spots at the table and plopped down to eat. "Phew; we made it in time. Nice job, little guy," Kat said with sisterly affection. Clumsy just blushed and started to eat his pancakes. He knew that Kat often thought of him as a little brother, but sometimes he wasn't sure if she was just being nice or if she liked him back.

Clumsy was so busy thinking of Kat that he almost didn't notice that Handy was sipping a cup of coffee across the table from him. "Oh, Handy, you're up! Are you smurfy now? I'm so sorry about the Zjin; I didn't mean to hurt you," Clumsy greeted him. He tried to wave to Handy, but instead he just knocked over his glass of orange juice, which shattered as it hit the edge of the table.

"Great work, fail sauce," Ven cracked from her seat next to Handy. "I-it was an accident! Can't you smurf that, Ven?" Clumsy whimpered. Ven just glared at him and looked on as Kat swept up the pieces of glass with a napkin while she tried to clean up the dripping orange juice from the table.

Clumsy went back to picking at his pancakes quietly, ignoring Kat's attempts to reassure him. Handy turned and raised an eyebrow at Ven, but she just shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "So….are you still sick? I heard this morning from Papa that you were kind of feverish last night," Ven inquired.

"Nah; not really. I'm just a little tired, that's all," Handy said, taking another mouthful of coffee. "Are you sure? You seem a little flushed there. Maybe you should take the day off," Ven insisted.

"But then I'd have to have Kat take over…I'm not really sure if she knows enough about repairs yet to be able to do that," Handy replied anxiously. Kat was his apprentice and she often covered for him when he was busy or ill, but he still wasn't sure that she could handle being a full-time handyman yet.

"Aw, c'mon, Handy! Everyone knows that Kat is more capable than you think she is. Besides, you haven't had a vacation for years. I think it's time you had a break," Ven wheedled. "Well, I guess it would be nice to take a break…" Handy wavered. Ven grinned and put an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, and then we could finally go on a date! How about it, my little Handy-wandy?"

At this, Handy's face hardened, and he rudely shoved Ven off his shoulder. "Forget it! I've said this a thousand times already: I'm in love with Marina, not you!" he growled. Shocked at his brusqueness, Ven scooted back in her chair. She knew Handy could get a little touchy about the topic of love, but she had never heard him speak like this before.

"Well, fine then. Go ahead and work yourself to death. Have a nervous breakdown in front of everyone and make NutBot go bonkers. Whatever," she snapped defensively. She pushed her plate away from the table, got up, and walked away; determined not to let anyone see Handy get the best of her.

"That wasn't very nice," Clumsy piped up. "Maybe the Zjin shouldn't talk to you after all. I mean, at least Ven just yells at you when she's upset. If you upset the Zjin, maybe she'd do something even worse."

Clumsy's comment seemed to have inflamed Handy's temper, for he snorted loudly and banged his fist on the table. Everyone looked at one another nervously, helpless to intervene and afraid to do something that would anger Handy even more.

"Well, I suppose that's that. Has anyone seen my mirror lately? It went missing last night and I haven't seen it since," Vanity interjected. He nervously ran a hand across his face, as if the mere absence of his mirror would be enough to make him look ugly.

"No…I don't think so. I'll help you look for it after breakfast, if you'd like," Kat replied. Vanity wasn't exactly a close friend of hers, but she knew how insecure he really was and didn't mind helping him out from time to time.

"Oh, thanks so much, Kat! That's really smurfy of you," Vanity thanked her. Kat smiled shyly back at him, and then returned to eating her pancakes while Vanity checked his reflection in a glass.

"Kat….do you mind taking over for me today? I don't think I'll be able to do any repairs at all. I have a Smurfing headache," Handy spoke up. Kat cocked her head to the side incredulously. She was always able to tell when Handy was lying. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't think the Zjin will hurt you this time if Papa just tells you how to do it properly," Kat inquired. Handy shook his head. "No, really. I do have a little bit of a headache. Besides, Ven's right. I smurfily need a day off," he replied with a nervous laugh.

"If you say so…" Kat trailed off. She pushed back her plate, then got to her feet and trotted off towards Handy's house. As soon as Kat had gone, Handy breathed a sigh of relief and ran a hand over his forehead. "Man, I feel horrible….that Zjin really messed with my head while I was out. Now I can even feel what she's feeling and I'm nowhere near her," Handy grunted.

Clumsy gave Handy an apprehensive look. "Really?" he asked incredulously. Handy shrugged and took another drink of coffee. "Nah…well, maybe. All I know is that I'm feeling anxious, apprehensive, and discombobulated, not to mention that I have a weird ache in my forehead. Then again, that could just be me getting all smurfed up over what happened yesterday."

"Well, either way, Kat's right. You really need a day off. You look very unsmurfy," Clumsy said quietly. "Thanks for the concern, Clumsy, but I don't think I'll be able to take a holiday. Papa Smurf said he'd show me how to talk to the Zjin when I'm awake…." Handy stopped abruptly in the middle of his sentence and gulped loudly. It was clear to see that the idea made him terrified.

"I guess you're kinda worried about meeting her again, right? Because you don't want to faint again?" Clumsy asked. Handy nodded tensely, but he looked down at his hands, as if he was trying to hide a secret. "I smurf so. It's just…there's something about her that frightens me. She's hiding something, I know it. Her family must have a bad past….oh, I don't know! Maybe she thinks I look like a murderer or somesmurf!" Handy blurted. Worry lines stood out on his forehead, and his mouth morphed into a stressed frown.

"Handy, smurf down! I promise I won't let the Zjin hurt you like she did yesterday!" Clumsy cried, distressed by Handy's angst. Handy rubbed his face and stared at Clumsy in disbelief. "You…you can stop her? How?" he inquired. "I don't know. But I do know that you're my friend, and I'm not going to let her smurf you out again. I give you my smurfy promise on it," Clumsy replied solemnly. He put a hand on his chest and gazed at Handy gravely, as though taking an oath.

Handy burst out laughing, causing his careworn face to light up with a smile. "No, Handy, I really smurf it! I'm not going to let her hurt you or make you faint or anything. And if she does...well…I won't let her smurf away with it. And if you get dizzy or sick, I promise I'll stand behind you and catch you if you fall down," Clumsy insisted.

"Well, I'm glad to have your support then. Come on, let's smurf this!" Handy announced. With determination set on his face, he leapt from his chair and searched for Papa Smurf so he could finally face the Zjin. Clumsy tried to look as confident, but deep down inside he was shaking in fear. He knew that Handy was right about the Zjin hiding a dark secret, and he was just as terrified as Handy was about confronting her.

"No, Clumsy, don't be a baby. A real hero wouldn't be scared of a Zjin. A real hero would probably eat Zjins for breakfast," Clumsy said to himself. He didn't think that anyone had heard him, but Kat walked over and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Clumsy thought she was going to give him some deep and touching words of wisdom, but instead she just said, "Be brave, Clumsy. If she tries to fight you back, she won't be able to hurt you."

"But…why? I'm just an ordinary Smurf! I don't have any magic power like Handy or Papa does!" Clumsy sniffled. He gulped and tried to hide the tears in his eyes, but once again his emotions overwhelmed him. "See? I can't even stop myself from crying! Real heroes don't cry! How can I possibly fight a Zjin when I can't even fight against myself?"

"Because if you stand strong and don't let her win, you can take her on. As long as you stand confidently, you can beat any foe. Have courage," Kat whispered. Clumsy nodded, feeling appreciative of Kat's advice. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks for the advice, Kat! I'll go see her now."

Ven overheard the touching conversation and rolled her eyes. "Oh, boy, here we go again with Miss Sappy Kitty," Ven grumbled. Kat stuck out her tongue cheekily at her sister. "Hey, I can give advice when I want to! It's not like it's illegal!" Kat sassed. "Oh, yeah? Then how about you get a job writing an advice column in the village newspaper?" Ven challenged.

In a couple of minutes, the two sisters were clawing and snapping at each other like a pair of quarreling kittens. Handy looked at them, snorted, and rolled his eyes. "Girls…I'll never undersmurf them," he sighed. "Me neither," Clumsy agreed.


	5. Ch 4: Between a Rock and a Hard Zjin

Chapter Four: Between a Rock and a Hard Zjin

_I have been waiting for you, Elenbyr. Here you are at last. _The Zjin's words echoed slowly through Handy's consciousness as he initiated the contact. He had arrived at the site where she had hatched in the hopes of finding her again. Although he hadn't been thrilled to return to the area of his malaise, he knew it was his responsibility to protect the village from harm.

Since he was the only one with enough power to control the Zjin, Papa had given him explicit directions on how to contact the Zjin without passing out. In order to speak with her and remain conscious, Handy had had to let Papa put him in a trance in order to protect his brain from the subconscious communication. Then Papa had instructed him to close his eyes and put his hand on the Zjin's nose.

For some odd reason, placing one's hand on a Zjin's snout was supposed to provide the person who touched it with extra essence, which shielded one from any side effects. If a contact initiator opened their eyes or let go of the Zjin, they would immediately fall into a coma which would last about five days.

Although Handy had found these instructions to be ridiculous, he wasn't willing to risk fainting again after that fateful first experience. He could still barely believe that he was really doing this all for the sake of the Smurf Village. _It's too bad that Clumsy wasn't the one who got the Greeneyes gift. He'd have much more fun with it than I do, _Handy griped to himself.

_Ah…that clumsy little one who had the foolishness in his head to attempt to ride on my back. He should know that I am neither a beast nor a slave-I am free. You should know this too, Elenbyr, if we are to cooperate in the days to follow, _the Zjin mused. Handy jumped, startled by the unexpected thought. He had to squinch his eyes hard in order to prevent them from opening and knocking himself out.

_You did not expect that I could read your puny mind, did you? Nothing is hidden to Zjins, and contacting them opens up your thoughts even more. I was thinking about having a little poke around your consciousness, but I figured it would be more polite to ask you first, _the Zjin replied, clearly amused by Handy's incompetence.

_Why do you have to invade me like this? I'm not going to be your little slave! I have my own life too, you know! And it happens to be a very busy one! _Handy snapped. He felt a cold current storm into his brain like a sharp breeze. He could tell that the Zjin was not pleased.

_Hold your tongue, impudent imp, _the Zjin retorted bitterly. _You forget that while you have lived a century-and-a-half, I have just as much worldliness as you, though I am barely a month old. If you do not cooperate…then I have all kinds of nasty methods to end your life. If you'd like to live long enough for marriage, then I advise you do as I say._

_But…how did you know about Marina? You haven't even looked through my mind yet! _Handy protested. _It is of no consequence, _the Zjin replied with an icy air. _What IS of consequence is the probing of your mind that I must go through with, if you are to be my companion. It will not be painful unless you make it so, but it will be long. Are you willing to fully reveal yourself to me?_

Handy was silent as he mulled over that for a few moments. Did he really want to let this alien creature extract all the secrets and fears from his mind? Did he want to let her see all the things he cherished, all the things he despised, all the things he wished he hadn't done and the things he was proud of?

If he had been speaking to somebody like Hefty or Papa, he would have allowed them to dive into the depths of his mind without a second thought. If he had been speaking to someone like Clumsy or even Marina, he might have let them see some things, but definitely not all of them. He had barely known this Zjin for a day, and yet she was already manipulating him in ways he didn't like.

No, there was no way he was going to let her scan his brain. She wasn't a member of his family, nor was she a close friend of his. It was just too soon for him to trust her enough to give her permission to look at every aspect of his one hundred and fifty-two years. He wasn't sure how she was going to react to his decision, but he knew deep down inside that it was the right one.

_No need to tell me your final choice, treacherous one, _the Zjin growled threateningly. _I can hear it already in the voice of your consciousness. You are taking yourself down a long and painful road. I regret that I cannot change your mind on this matter. Are you sure you know what you're doing? If you just open up to me, everything will be so much simpler._

_No, I've chosen my path already, _Handy responded firmly. _I am my own person, and I am free and independent. I can make my own choices about life! I'm a reasonable adult and what I decide is what I decide. I take pride in my life, but just because you demand to see it does not mean that I am obliged to you._

For a moment, the Zjin wavered in her thoughts. Handy was sure that his speech had convinced her to let him free. He felt a warm glow of pride deep in his heart. Never before had he said anything so mature and convincing. He knew that no matter what the Zjin did, she would never have any control over him. What happened next was purely by his decision, and nothing could ever change that.

All thoughts of satisfaction were cruelly torn from his mind with the oncoming wave of pain. It felt like he was being electrocuted again. Shocking waves of fiery throbbing exploded in his mind and caused the insides of his eyelids to sear with red-hot agony. _Let me go! I didn't do anything wrong! _Handy screamed. He felt his consciousness flicker like a candle in a strong wind. He was afraid that he would black out again and struggled frantically to remain alert.

The reply of the young Zjin left him shivering with cold terror. _You have made your choice, young imp. This is what you chose. You chose death over a mere mind-glance and life. There is no going back now. You are gone. You'll never get to see your loved ones again…_

Handy felt his essence soaring out of control. He couldn't tell whether he was dead or alive for a couple of precious seconds. He felt like his brain was going to explode. Wherever the Zjin had learned torture methods, she knew exactly how to make him feel intense suffering.

Even though she had said she hadn't probed his mind, she must have seen at least some degree of what lay in his brain. How else would she know that drowning was such a terror to him and how to replicate the feeling perfectly? Handy was practically gasping for air; the feeling was so realistic.

He couldn't tell if he was awake or asleep. He didn't know where he was or what was happening to him. All he knew was that the anguish was escalating to the point of death. Although he had feared unconsciousness a moment before, he would have welcomed it at this point to escape from the hideous torment that he was being mercilessly forced through.

A childlike voice abruptly broke through the relentless misery. "Golly gosh! What on Smurf are you doing to poor Handy? He looks like he's dying! Please, leave him alone! He's my friend and I won't let you torture him any longer!" Clumsy cried. _Don't bother trying to save me now. Save yourself! I'm going to die, _Handy thought hazily. He hoped that the Zjin wouldn't try to hurt him as well.

_Golly? Are you offering me an alias? _The Zjin mulled. _Hmmm…Golly…..like the Zjin word Goli, meaning 'alas'….a perfect name for a Zjin like me, who plans to kill the Wolarbearves to avenge her parents. I believe I'll take up your offer. Thank you very much for the nickname, _she replied.

"I'm just glad I could help," Clumsy said, blushing with embarrassment. Meanwhile, Handy had let go of the Zjin and fallen to the ground in total shock. _Oh, come on…this is smurficulous! First I get tortured almost to death, and then the Zjin actually decides to use a lame name like 'Golly' as her alias? Smurf me a break; I must be dreaming, _Handy harrumphed. He didn't have the strength to say it aloud, though. In fact, he barely had the strength to remain awake.

Handy decided to take a risk and see what was going on. He cracked open one weary eyelid to see the Zjin looming over Clumsy like an ominous storm. "So…are you going to come back to the village again? Maybe you could be my pet or something," Clumsy suggested eagerly.

Handy let out a loud, melodramatic moan and half-fainted. He couldn't help it-the whole situation was completely nerve-wracking, and the thought of the Zjin staying in the village permanently was more than he could bear. _Let's hope she declines his offer. If she doesn't, then I smurf that I'm going to completely lose it, _Handy thought despairingly.

_Perhaps….I suppose I don't have anywhere to stay at the moment, _answered the Zjin with wicked glee. _If you could build me a shelter near your charming village, I would be so grateful. Perhaps this smart one here could help to build it?_

"Sure! Handy's smurfy at building stuff! I'm sure he'd be happy to help make you a new home," Clumsy said eagerly. "Wouldn't you, Handy? Handy? Are you even awake?" He walked over to Handy and shook him gently by the shoulder. The overwhelmed inventor didn't respond. Stunned by the Zjin's decision, he had once more fallen into blackness.

"Uhhh…I think Handy smurfed out again. I guess he's just really excited to build your new house," Clumsy piped up anxiously. _Let's hope so. If he wasn't, then I think I would be rather disappointed in him for being such a weakling, _the Zjin answered with cruel amusement.

"Handy doesn't really do this kind of thing a lot-he's just really stressed right now. I don't know why. Anyway, I think he needs to go home and have a nap," Clumsy shrugged. _Indeed. Shall we go? _The newly-named Golly chuckled.

"Okay! Sure! Just make sure Handy doesn't get any of that sticky stuff on his hands like I did," Clumsy said. _Don't worry. He's in safe hands with me, _Golly reassured. She carefully gathered the unconscious mechanic in her claws before kneeling so Clumsy could get on her back.

Once Clumsy was safely settled on her back, Golly took off into the sky like a crazed rocket. "WHOAA! GOLLY, BE CAREFUL! I DON'T WANT TO GO! I'M ONLY ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD!" Clumsy screamed in terror. He was so frightened that he forgot about the poison and clung to one of Golly's spines like a vise.

Golly rolled her eyes at Clumsy's ignorance. _Idiot! I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to stay at his village full-time, _she groaned. _Either way, it's going to be a VERY long stay. Hopefully that foolish inventor will come to his senses and join me soon enough. If he does…then the results shall be very pleasing, to say the least._

At this, Golly let out a low rumble of pleasure. Once she had that Greeneyes under her control, then she would be able to completely annihilate the Wolarbearves. All she needed to do was nudge him into her trap. The youngling who seemed to be his friend would be exactly the kind of bait she needed for her plans to work.

…..

A piece of wet metal passed over Handy's face. He lay still, praying that this wasn't another new torture concocted by the diabolical brain of the Zjin. The metal touched him again. The contact was gentler this time. For some reason, it felt oddly comforting. He didn't move, fearing that the calming touch would shift if he twitched a muscle.

"Master?" asked the squeaky mechanical voice of NutBot. "Yes, I'm here, NutBot," Handy sighed wearily. He opened his heavy eyes to find NutBot staring anxiously into his face. "Not again, Master," NutBot muttered as he rolled his pupil-less white eyes. "NutBot thought Master was a very brave Smurf. Now NutBot is starting to think Master is a big wimp…"

"NutBot, I'm not a wimp! I was being tortured!" Handy snapped irritably. NutBot licked him again, but this time the robot squirrel's tongue seemed rougher. "Either way, Master shouldn't faint like Scaredy Smurf. Master should fight like a man," NutBot bolstered. He struck a heroic pose and flexed his muscles.

Handy lifted an eyebrow at this. He hadn't remembered adding muscles to NutBot, but then again the squirrel was always changing in mysterious ways.

"Anyway, NutBot was really worried about Master," NutBot continued. "Master was out so long that NutBot was worried that Master might not wake up again." "What?! Nine hours AGAIN?!" Handy gasped in disbelief. He sat bolt upright and glanced about himself in a panic. He saw fading light streaming through the window and let out a breath of relief. However long he had been out, it definitely wasn't as for as long as the last time.

"Did…did I sleep through dinner? I'm absosmurfly starving," Handy asked. NutBot nodded in regret. "They were waiting for Master to wake up, but you were still sleeping, so they ate dinner without us," NutBot sighed. "And NutBot didn't even get to eat the leftover pie because NutBot was taking care of YOU!"

"I'm sorry about the pie, NutBot. How about I give you some French fry oil for lunch tomorrow to make up for it?" Handy cajoled. He could sense that NutBot was getting upset. When NutBot got this flustered, he could throw a tantrum like nobody's business. Handy didn't want NutBot to wake up the whole village with a fit of screaming. He hoped his plan would work for the sake of everyone's beauty rest.

Fortunately for Handy, it did. "All right. Since NutBot likes French fry oil and NutBot knows that you are trying to get NutBot to shut up, NutBot will be quiet this time," NutBot agreed. "NutBot, I didn't mean it like that," Handy protested. As usual, NutBot wasn't paying any attention to him. Instead, he was covering his mouth with his paw as he let out an exaggerated yawn.

"I don't know about Master, but NutBot is sleepy and wants to go to bed," NutBot announced tiredly. "Me too. Just let me wash up and I'll be right with you," Handy agreed. He stretched groggily and groaned at the soreness of his muscles. "Something wrong, Master?" NutBot asked, jumping into Handy's lap. "No…I'm just really sore, I guess," Handy muttered. "I mean, since I was out for so long and all…"

"Yes, Master was out for very long. Master was out for TEN HOURS!" NutBot decreed. "What?! You said I wasn't out for as long as last time! Why didn't you tell me before?" Handy gasped in disbelief. "NutBot never said that Master wasn't out as long as last time. Master was out LONGER than last time!" NutBot laughed. He seemed to find this error very funny and continued giggling for several minutes.

"NutBot! That isn't very funny! I wasn't feeling very smurfy because Golly was TORTURING me!" Handy scolded. At once, NutBot stopped chuckling and gave Handy a pitiful look. "Sorry, Master. Maybe you should go to bed now. Master looks very pale," NutBot whimpered. He leapt off the bed and scuttled ashamedly into the bathroom, where he curled up in a heap next to the sink.

"It's okay, NutBot. And thanks for the advice," Handy replied. He stepped into the bathroom to wash up for bed and was about to splash cold water on his face when he noticed something startling in the mirror. He had to blink several times to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

An old Smurf with pale green eyes frowned back at him. His curled, pure-white beard was matted and full of blood. Wrinkles creased around his eyes and skittered over his forehead, giving him a worried appearance. He was hunched over and clutching a cane with stiff fingers. His clothes appeared to be tatty from many years of wear. However, the faded blue overalls he wore were also punctured with slash marks covered in dried blood, as if some kind of wild creature had attacked him recently.

"Wait a minute…is that ME?" Handy muttered in disbelief. He squinted and leaned closer to the sink, half-expecting the apparition to vanish before his eyes. It didn't. Instead, the old Smurf leaned closer and whispered something that Handy didn't catch. "What? What did you say?" Handy asked. The old figure opened his cracked lips to repeat himself, but instead he trembled and pointed with his cane to a slit-eyed figure behind him.

_This is what you will become if you don't cooperate, _Golly's voice rasped in his head. _If you refuse to bow down to my will and do my bidding, I will see to it that you will die and turn to ashes…_

The old figure moaned and threw his arms in front of his eyes, as if to shield himself from some deadly force. He began to shudder so rapidly that soon he was little more than a blue-and-white blur. He squirmed like a mouse in the talons of an owl, screaming bloody murder.

Golly's eyes shone intensely, radiating a heat more stifling than the sun. _Be gone! _She bellowed. The old Smurf gave one last wriggle of protest before collapsing and disintegrating into a heap of dust. The dust was blown away swiftly by a sinister wind that billowed up out of nowhere.

_This is what you will become if you continue to defy me. Now will you stand before me? _Golly mocked. Before Handy had a chance to answer, the vision disappeared as quickly as it had materialized.

Handy blinked in disbelief, distraught by the disturbing images that had flashed across his bathroom mirror. "I really need to smurf to bed," he muttered. He quickly washed up and changed into his pajamas. NutBot hopped into bed after him, shoving his tiny nose under Handy's armpit as usual. NutBot always slept in this position, although Handy wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was a gesture of affection, or maybe it was merely because NutBot tended to get a cold nose at night-or so the mechanical squirrel said.

"Goodnight, Master," NutBot chirped sleepily. Handy smiled and gently stroked NutBot's head. "Same to you, NutBot," Handy replied. He shut his eyes and tried to relax. However, although NutBot was snoring away peacefully soon enough, it was quite a while before Handy managed to drift into a feverish, nightmare-filled slumber.

….

"Hey, what's with the raccoon eyes today, Handy-wandy?" Ven chirped. She had managed to shove herself into a seat next to Handy at breakfast and noticed that he looked like he'd had a rough night. "I don't have raccoon eyes! And for the last time, stop calling me Handy-wandy! I'm not your dog!" Handy snapped.

"Fine; I'll stop calling you Handy-wandy," Ven grumbled. "What's with the grumpiness lately? You've been snappier than…well…Snappy Smurfling." "I just had a hard time falling asmurf, that's all," Handy mumbled. He wished that Ven would just leave him alone to think for once.

He stared mindlessly down into the coffee he clutched in his hands as he tried to make sense of the disturbing events of the past few days. None of it was any clearer to him now than it had been two days ago. Handy had the feeling that it would take several days-and cups of coffee-before he finally understood all that Golly and Papa had told him.

"Hey, did anyone tell you that Golly is staying on the west side of the village?" Ven piped up, breaking the uncomfortable silence between her and Handy. "What?" Handy blurted. He looked at Ven's face carefully, trying to see if she was kidding around with him.

Ven returned his gaze with a mixture of seriousness and amusement in her intense eyes. "Nope, she is. She landed here with Clumsy passed out on her back last night and demanded that Papa Smurf give her a place to stay," Ven explained. "Did he….did he let her?" Handy gasped. He felt like the earth had given way under his feet. He gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady himself.

"Yeah, he did. There's a little wooded hollow nearby where he said Golly could stay until she can find her own home. Can you believe that? I mean, first she actually takes stupid Clumsy's suggestion for a_ name_ when he wasn't even_ giving_ her one, and then she comes and thinks she can stay here like she owns the place! Seriously, Papa Smurf is such a big fat sap," Ven grumbled.

Handy gulped nervously. He was starting to see stars spinning in front of his eyes. He took a sip of coffee and told himself not to be a wimp. _Don't go fainting on Ven now. Be a Smurf and try to suck it up. Besides, if you pass out in front of her, she'll probably just do CPR on you, _Handy told himself. "So…uh….is Clumsy okay? He didn't touch Golly's spikes again, did he?" Handy inquired.

"Yeah, he did, the big smurfing moron. It was gushing out all over his hands like he got stabbed or something," Ven said melodramatically. "I mean, Golly kept slapping him in the face with her tail to try to wake him up, but it turns out that her tail had the goopy stuff on it too. So then Clumsy got the poison all over his smurfed face, so a bunch of Smurfs had to put him on a stretcher and take him home. And Crazy was doing his whole siren thing, and Brainy was saying something about how Clumsy should have thought before touching Golly's spikes and Papa Smurf was tearing at his beard-it was totally insane. To be honest, I'm glad you were unconscious, because you would have freaked out if you'd seen it."

"Uh…thanks," Handy stammered. He wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or not. He decided to ignore her comment and switch the topic. "So, is Clumsy all right? I mean, is he conscious now?" Handy questioned. Clumsy wasn't his closest friend, but he was a good Smurf and Handy knew he would be upset if something bad happened to him.

"To be honest, I have no idea," Ven admitted. "The last time Papa Smurf checked on him, he was still out. Meh…it doesn't really matter if he's awake or not. All that matters to me is that YOU'RE okay after what Golly did to you…you poor thing!" Ven placed her arm around Handy and gave him a look that was meant to be sympathetic but was more like pitying.

Handy irritably shoved Ven off his shoulder. It was hard enough to put up with Ven's flirtations on a normal basis. He certainly didn't need her to swoon over him now, when he barely had any idea of what was going on and what role he played in the drama.

"Ok, I get it. You're smurfed off at me again because you think I'm flirting with you, don't you?" Ven snapped. Handy blushed in embarrassment and ducked his head. "N-no, I didn't mean it like that, Ven! It's just-uhh….errr….." he stuttered awkwardly.

"…you think I'm too young to flirt with you since I'm only ninety-nine and you're a hundred and fifty-two, don't you?" Ven retorted. Handy opened his mouth and started to stutter a reply, but Ven interrupted him again.

"Nevermind, Handy. I was going to tell you something, but I forgot…OH!" The redheaded Smurfette slapped her forehead. "THAT'S what I was going to tell you! How could I have possibly forgotten that Golly wanted you to start building her a shelter when you were feeling better? That was probably one of the most important things that that monster said when she brought you and Clumsy home!"

Handy turned paler than a ghost and began sweating nervously. There was no way he ever wanted to come into contact with Golly again-not after all the torture he had endured during their last talk.

Handy knew that Clumsy would definitely try to encourage him to get over his fears if he refused to work for Golly. He also knew that he would look like a total wimp if he said no to the Zjin's request. But he wasn't a dumb person, and he understood the extent of Golly's intentions for him. If he kept associating with her, she might decide to take his life as well as his dignity.

"Ummm…Ven, I sort of have another really unsmurfy headache. I think I just need to go home and lie down…for a little bit….you know…" Handy trailed off uncertainly. Ven gave him a strange look, her eyes boring into him like electric drills. Handy quickly glanced at his feet and rubbed his head in a desperate attempt to look as headachy as possible.

Ven didn't buy it. "Come on, Handy, how many headaches can one guy have in his life?" Ven inquired, feeling exasperated with Handy's fib. "I mean, honestly, every time you want to back out of something, you say you're too busy or you have a bad headache or you'll get to it later or SOMETHING! Are you going to wimp out every time you have a problem in life? Are you going to try and wrap yourself up in work every time you know you can't do something or are afraid to try?

Look, one day it's just not going to WORK anymore! Everyone will see through your lies and they'll force you to do whatever it is that you're trying to avoid! Really, if Marina saw what a coward you've become in the past couple of years, she'd think the Smurf she loved wasn't who she thought he was after all, and she'd NEVER want to marry you!"

As soon as Ven finished speaking, she knew she had hit a sensitive spot of Handy's. She wished she could take back her words when she saw the tears welling in the inventor Smurf's eyes. "Look, Handy, I'm-"Ven started. However, a torrent of Handy's tears blocked out her apology before she could continue.

"Oh, Ven! You're right! I _am _a wimp, and nobody deserves to have me as a friend! And-Marina doesn't deserve me either, and I hope she's married a big handsome prince so she'll forget all about me and have a good life!" Handy sobbed. He didn't realize that everyone at the breakfast table was staring at him as if he were a hydra.

"Handy….I know you've had issues with that Zjin lately, but I had no idea that any of this was going on. Why didn't you tell me before?" Hefty faltered. He got up from his seat by Vanity, shoved Ven off her chair, and plopped down next to Handy with a sincere look of concern on his face.

"Hey muscle face, treat a lady like a LADY for once, would you?" Ven fumed. She hopped to her feet and glared angrily at Kat, who was laughing like a crazed monkey. However, she shut up when she noticed the venomous look on her sister's face and stared silently into her plate.

Handy wiped away his tears and gave Hefty a feeble smile. "I-I guess I've just been knocked out too much, that's all," he stammered. Hefty guffawed, but he sobered up when he noticed the serious expression on Handy's face.

"But you're right. I need to stop hiding from everything and face my problems," Handy affirmed. "And actually, you might be able to help me."

"Really?" Hefty asked eagerly. He was always up for a challenge, especially if it was something that would help the village. And if Handy was involved, it was surely going to be smurftastic.

"Yes, really. And if you have a spare minute, I'll explain what exactly I have in mind…" Handy replied. He rubbed his hands together and grinned deviously. He wished he'd thought of such a brilliant idea before. It would have saved him a couple of comas if he'd put it into practice.


	6. Ch 5: The Storm

Chapter Five: The Storm

Handy groaned and rubbed his burning eyes as he stared down at the blueprint, clutching a candle to see properly in the darkness of the night. He had been working on creating a suitable house design for Golly since the afternoon, but it was already midnight and he still hadn't sketched anything that was even remotely probable.

NutBot blinked sleepily and gave a loud yawn before trotting over to Handy's workbench and hopping into his creator's lap. "Why is Master staying up so late at night? You haven't been sleeping at all! And fainting doesn't count either!" NutBot complained. "You've been keeping NutBot up since seven o'clock at night. What are you TRYING to do, Master?!"

"I'm TRYING to build a house, NutBot!" Handy snapped. He irritably shoved his squirrel off his lap and gritted his teeth. His plan for protecting the village was turning out to be nigh impossible, and fatigue wasn't doing anything to improve his mood. "I've got to keep working until I get this right! You don't understand-all you do is act like a nut and drive everyone up the wall. But the whole village is counting on ME to protect them, and if I don't…we could all die."

"Still, NutBot thinks you should lie down for a minute. Master looks like a zombie Smurf," NutBot huffed. He crossed his arms and gave his master a glare of annoyance. He did not enjoy being treated so rudely, nor did he like being belittled by having Handy tell him that he was a nut. NutBot probably wouldn't have been too offended if it hadn't been for the fact that Handy had been acting like this for days.

"I just told you-I _can't_! Not until I can find a suitable house design to build for Golly so we can get her safely away from the village!" Handy screamed. He picked up a screw and threw it at NutBot in a fit of reckless rage. He'd had it up to _here _with all of the stress he'd had to endure recently. He just couldn't take it anymore. Why was everyone bothering him to go to sleep when he had far more important things to be doing?

Obviously, NutBot had had it up to here, too, with Handy's abusive treatment of him. "Fine. If Master doesn't love NutBot anymore, then NutBot can pack NutBot's bags and move in with Master's Friend, and Master's Friend will love NutBot more than Master does," NutBot huffed. He turned abruptly on Handy and stormed out of the room in anger. An uncomfortable silence fell after NutBot's departure, but Handy hardly noticed.

"Who cares if that little metal jerk moves in with Hefty? I've got more smurfnificant things to do with my time than argue with HIM," Handy grunted. He crumpled up the blueprint paper he was using to sketch house designs on and tossed it into the overflowing wastebasket next to his workbench. He was beginning to get the feeling that none of his designs would ever work out, and if they did, he wouldn't be able to build any of them in time to prevent Golly from sabotaging the village.

Handy continued to work quietly for several hours. After about three hours had passed, he felt a funny twinge that seemed familiar to him. He couldn't put a name on it, but the weird feeling made him feel like he'd just fed a helpless mouse to a bloodthirsty cat. He tried to ignore the feeling and concentrate on his blueprints. However, the more he ignored the feeling, the more intensely it returned to haunt him.

Finally, Handy knew what he was feeling: guilt. It was guilt for treating NutBot so harshly, for shutting out everyone he loved because they wanted to help him solve his problems, and for not even taking care of himself because of his obsession to rid the village of Golly.

Ven was right when she had told him that he was becoming a lying coward who tried to bury himself in work when life threw challenges at him. Now he could see her words in action, and he didn't like who he had become very much.

Handy placed his designs on the table with a sigh of regret and rose from his seat. Shuffling towards the front of his house, he opened the door and called NutBot's name. When he didn't hear a reply, he tried again, more loudly this time. Still no response came from the quirky robot. It was as if NutBot had suddenly managed to vanish into thin air by pure will alone.

"NutBot?" Handy called a third time. The hoarseness of his own voice shocked him greatly. He had no idea how sickly he had become because of his refusal to rest until he achieved success with a housing design. He quickly ducked back into the house and glanced at himself in the mirror.

The pale face with the shadowy, baggy eyes filled with obsession and weariness seemed too alien to be his own, but there was no denying the truth now. Handy had become a creature of overwork and selfishness to the point where he thought of no one else but himself in the world. He was now a mere shell of the being he used to be-a person who wanted nothing else but to improve upon the world and bring light into the lives of others.

Handy hung his head in shame at the silhouette of ignorance that he now was. A tear slipped down his once-rosy cheek as he thought of NutBot, who had become a dear friend to him and was now probably gone forever. NutBot may have been a robot, but he had very strong and irreversible opinions of people. Once he decided he hated someone, he would hate them forever-and that person was now Handy.

Before Handy could collapse into a storm of heartbroken sobbing, a tiny knock echoed on the wood of his door. His heart beat rapidly as he tentatively pulled it open. Could it be? Yes, it was. Outside the door stood his very own creation, NutBot. And not only had his creation returned-so had his treasured sidekick and companion.

"NutBot decided that Master would probably kill himself if NutBot didn't take care of him, so NutBot returned with a little gift for Master," NutBot explained sheepishly. Handy was so overjoyed that he wasn't even able to speak a word.

As it turned out, he didn't really need to. Instead, he simply threw himself on his knees and embraced NutBot with gratitude. Handy tried to hold back the tears, but he couldn't stop himself from weeping for joy. He was so happy that NutBot loved him enough to return for him even though he had given him nothing back.

"So NutBot…what's this 'little gift' that you've brought for me? Something to help me with my housing project?" Handy asked, wiping the salty drops off his face. The tears he hadn't wiped away stuck to his cheeks like a bizarre crust, which added to his careworn appearance.

"Well…it's a very special dust that NutBot got from the Big Old Guy," NutBot said. He flashed Handy a devious smile and hid the container behind his back, as though trying to keep Handy from guessing the correct answer too early.

"Hmmm…let me guess…is it pixie dust?" Handy smiled.

NutBot shook his head. "Nope, guess again, Master. Something more SPECIAL than pixie dust…"

"Uhh…I got it…fairy dust!" Handy exclaimed triumphantly.

"Nope. Not from fairies," NutBot said. He shook his head and backed further away from Handy like a naughty boy who had stolen a jar of cookies before dinner.

"Hmmm….what could it possibly be….uh, it isn't from a Zjin, is it, NutBot?" Handy asked, scratching his head. He almost hated to admit it, but his pet was really stumping him this time. He hoped fervently that the mysterious dust didn't have anything to do with Golly.

"No….but….it's…dreamy dust!" NutBot announced. He shoved the jar into Handy's face, revealing silvery, sparkling dust lying at the bottom of the small container. It almost seemed to be swirling and shifting by itself, like the incessant lapping of the ocean waves.

"Dreamy dust? What on Smurf is THAT?" Handy cried. NutBot didn't answer him. Instead, he crept towards him with a stalking gait that gave Handy a case of the shivers. He shuddered and quickly shut the door behind him, as if to lock out any approaching evil.

He opened his mouth to ask NutBot what he thought he was doing, but he never got the chance to voice his opinion. "Sorry, Master, but it's for your own good," NutBot squeaked. Quick as a flash of lightning, NutBot pried open the jar, poured the dust into his palm, and blew it into Handy's face.

The blinding dust filled Handy's vision like a rapidly approaching cloud of mist. He staggered and had to grab onto the arm of the sofa to prevent himself from falling over. "NutBot, what are you-"Handy muttered groggily. He slumped onto the sofa, struggling to keep his eyes from closing.

A sudden wave of sleepiness had taken him by surprise. He wasn't sure what NutBot had in mind, but he hadn't been anticipating anything like this at all. NutBot ducked his head and looked up at Handy with big, apologetic eyes. "Master, it's for your own good! The Big Old Guy said it would make you feel better," NutBot insisted.

Handy would have questioned his pet further, but at that moment, his eyes snapped shut. He immediately sank into a deep, heavy, dreamless slumber and knew nothing more from that moment on.

…

A painful stinging sensation not unlike a burn roused a feverish Clumsy in the early hours of the morning. He was shaking from shock and terror, but he could not bring himself to remember what had caused him such trauma. He lay still for several moments, hoping that the nasty feeling would go away.

Eventually, he forced himself to open his eyes in order to figure out what had happened to him. He blinked and wiped sleep from his eyes as he scanned his hands, which were covered by thick bandages. The bandages went all the way up to his elbows, and when he gingerly touched his face, he could feel even more covering his cheeks and forehead.

"Oww…what happened to me? Did I fall in a fire or somesmurf?" Clumsy whimpered. He flopped back in bed and licked his dry lips. He felt absolutely parched, but there was not a single glass of water or any other liquid in sight. He made a few attempts to get out of bed, but he was far too feeble to perform such a difficult action.

He was just starting to fall back asleep again when he remembered how he had gotten injured. He had been riding Golly back to the village in order to bring Handy home. He had forgotten that Golly had acidic poison in her spines and by the time they returned, he had been so badly injured that he had fainted before they'd even landed.

He didn't recall his face getting singed, but he must have either hit his face against her spines when he passed out or else Golly must have slapped him with her spines or some other poisonous part of her body. _At least Golly was nice enough to take me home…I just hope Handy didn't get hurt either. That wouldn't be very smurfy, _Clumsy thought.

He stretched his limbs and winced at the surprising soreness he felt from them. He dragged himself groggily out of bed and peeked out of his bedroom window.

Fluffy white snow drifted softly to the earth as far as the eye could see. Delicate flakes drifted in the winter wind like icy pixies to join with the frigid blanket covering the ground. There was no other sound besides the wind, and the beautiful whiteness seemed to beckon Clumsy like a cheerful old friend.

"Well…I guess I can smurf a little walk before the others wake up. As long as I don't trip and break anything loudly, everything will be smurfy," Clumsy murmured to himself. He quickly changed clothes, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and slid mittens over his hands before braving the frosty world.

It felt very strange being the only Smurf awake at that time of day. It was so dark that Clumsy couldn't even see where he was walking. "I'd better smurf a candle, otherwise I'll be more black than blue by the time everyone else wakes up," Clumsy said. He dashed inside the house and lit a candle. He nearly dropped it on the way back out, but he managed to catch it before he set anything on fire.

He had just slipped out of the village and was beginning to lumber towards the forest when a dark shadow made him jump. He was so startled that he forgot that he was carrying a candle and let it crash to the forest floor.

Luckily, everything was covered by snow, so the light was merely snuffed out by the icy whiteness. It died with a hiss like an angered cat. Thin wisps of smoke flitted upwards-the only trace of the nightmare that had passed by.

Clumsy sighed in relief and hesitantly picked up the candle again. He looked around to make sure the fearsome presence had gone, but there seemed to be no other being in the forest besides him. He continued on through the woods, but since he had no more light to guide him, a sense of unease passed over him with every step he took.

A few minutes later, Clumsy got another shock. A large figure loomed through the morning mist like a silhouette from a dream. It slowly stalked towards him with its shoulders hunched and its fanged mouth open in a vicious snarl. For several moments, Clumsy stood stock-still, stricken dumb with terror. He opened his mouth to scream, but not a single word escaped from his lips. Instead, the horrible creature lunged forwards and pinned him to the ground.

Clumsy's eyes snapped shut and his muscles went stiff. He waited with dread in his stomach for the fatal blow that would end his life. His heart was throbbing in his chest, and every shallow breath he took nearly choked him. Was he about to smurf the bucket? If he did, he hoped that he wouldn't wind up anywhere nasty. _Have I done anything in my life that was REALLY unsmurfy? _Clumsy asked himself.

Before he could decide on anything, he felt a familiar snide voice cut into his mind. _What are you doing, you little coward? Thought I was a monster, did you? _Golly smirked.

Clumsy could have melted with relief when he realized whom he was speaking to. He opened his eyes and sat up to see the bitter Zjin leaning over him impatiently. "Golly, it's you! Oh, I was so scared! You see, my candle went out, and I saw this shadow in the woods and thought it was a monster, so when you jumped on me, I thought I was going to die and-"Clumsy babbled in relief.

_No need to tell me what I don't need to know. What I do want to know is this: Why are you walking in these woods at such an ungodly time of day, especially with burns like yours? _Golly pried.

"B-b-b-b-burns? I thought the poison just made you go to sleep," Clumsy stammered. He stared down at his hands with a growing feeling of nausea. He didn't want to know what they looked like, but part of him had an almost demonical desire to see just how much damage Golly's poison had inflicted upon him. With a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach, Clumsy removed his mitten and timidly lifted one of the bandages covering his hand.

A horrible blue-green burn that seemed to cover his whole hand stared back at him like the eye of a devil. He let out a scream of terror and immediately dropped the bandage. It felt like centuries before Golly finally clapped a paw over his mouth to shut him up.

_Well, what did I tell you? There ARE some drawbacks to riding on a Zjin. Just be grateful you didn't get any on your hair, or it would have never grown back, _Golly snarled. Clumsy struggled to escape from her paw, but she firmly kept it clamped down on his jaw. She seemed to have a sense of Clumsy's wide-eyed horror and appeared to be attempting to keep him from throwing himself into a full-on panic attack.

"But I don haf any air!" Clumsy mumbled. He shoved at Golly's paw, but she continued to hold him back with a grip like steel.

_What? _Golly asked in confusion. Clumsy made another effort to speak, but his words came out just as garbled as before. Golly sighed and reluctantly let Clumsy free. As soon as she did, Clumsy put his mitten back on and spoke again. This time, Golly was able to hear him properly.

"I just told you: I don't have any hair!" Clumsy exclaimed.

Golly pulled her ears flat against her head and backed away, surprised by Clumsy's unexpected confession. _You don't have any hair? But you're only about…a hundred years old? That doesn't make sense; you look like a young child! _Golly asked, confused.

"Smurfs age more slowly than humans do. When a Smurf turns a hundred, that means he or she is an adult. And we actually don't get any hair at all until we're four hundred and start growing beards," Clumsy explained. "And the beard thing is something I'm really nervous about…I hope Papa Smurf lets me shave when that happens. I don't want to grow a beard that's long like Grandpa's in case I trip on it."

Golly stared mindlessly at Clumsy for several seconds before bursting out in a hysterical fit of laughter. _Here you are, walking around in the middle of the night with no light or way to defend yourself, and the most worrying matter haunting your mind is the fact that one day in the faraway future you're going to grow a beard so long that you'll trip on it?_

It all seemed so ridiculous to her. If Golly were in his position, she definitely wouldn't be fussing about the length of a nonexistent beard. Then again, Clumsy really had no idea what dark secrets she kept hidden deep in her soul.

And Golly intended to keep things that way. If he learned even the smallest thing about her true identity, no doubt he would run back home and blab to that silly inventor who kept fainting in front of her. Once that happened, Tiber would find her and everything would be ruined.

Golly took one look at the startled expression on Clumsy's face and immediately silenced herself. She could tell he was suspicious of her already, and that was a terrible sign. _I must be more careful about how I behave in front of him in the future. Otherwise I could be led into my first grave early…._Golly chided herself.

Keeping this thought hidden from Clumsy, she simply said, _Well, perhaps you ought to go home and get into bed now. You certainly won't be able to do much until your skin starts to grow back._ Of course, she didn't add that his skin wouldn't heal from the burns for a thousand years, if he even lived that long. She didn't want him to go into a fit of hysterics and alert the other members of the slumbering village to her presence.

"Oh, okay then. Uhhh…how long will it be before these burns go away?" Clumsy asked.

For a few moments, Golly hung her head and refused to answer. She was too afraid of how he might react when she told him the crushing truth. She could tell that he was an extremely sensitive being who would probably cry if he knew that his burns were going to last for the rest of his life. And if he started sobbing, then there was no telling what might happen.

_Can you handle the truth? It isn't a very pretty answer, if that's what you were looking for, _Golly asked. She figured that she might as well give him a warning before catastrophe struck.

"Yeah….uhhh…how long? A month?" Clumsy stammered. Golly narrowed her eyes and reconsidered her decision. She was afraid that he wouldn't be strong enough to handle the truth in a mature manner. She was sick and tired of seeing these little blue men faint like wimps in front of her. Were they all that unmanly and feeble? Or was it just the inventor who was overreacting? Either way, she didn't care to find out.

_Well….several years, _Golly replied carefully. It was mostly the truth, and she figured that this child of an imp probably wouldn't be able to handle anything more specific than that. She hated to water down reality, but what else could she do? She was a refugee in a place she hardly knew and she knew full well that one misstep on her part could lead to bloodshed.

Fortunately for her, Clumsy didn't scream and faint as the pathetic Elenbyr had. However, his reaction was far worse than any melodrama that the inventor could have displayed.

Upon hearing her news, he gulped for several minutes and stared at her with big doleful eyes. After a while, shiny fat teardrops began to roll down his face like water dribbling out of a crack in a rock. This went on for some time before Clumsy let out a wail of pain and broke down in a fit of utter misery, shaking and sobbing loudly in the snow.

Golly glided a safe distance away and hung her head. She tried to focus on the snow as hard as she could. She ignored Clumsy's heartrending weeping and instead took note of the many details of the fresh powdery drifts. The snow was piled up in various heaps all across the forest floor. There were large piles in some places and small piles in others. The uneven snow drifts and the darkness of the night seemed to reflect her uncontrollable and intense emotions regarding the situation.

_Don't get attached to a mere mortal fool like him. It won't do you any good further along in your life, _Golly admonished herself. Despite this piece of good self-advice, Golly had to admit that something about the helpless creature caused something to stir inside her. Perhaps it was the fact that his understandable melancholy echoed her personal sense of hopelessness. Perhaps it was simply a motherly instinct to care for him, or perhaps it was a tinge of empathy flaring like a spark within her.

Whatever it was, the nondescript emotion caused her to tiptoe in the snow towards Clumsy and gently nudge him in the back. "W-what is it? W-what do you want with m-me?" Clumsy sobbed. He wiped his tearstained face with the back of his hand and looked up at her with pain in his eyes.

_If you are still, I can heal your wounds, _Golly told him. Clumsy opened his mouth, but the look in Golly's eyes made him close it again. Golly quickly spit into the palm of her paw. She then smeared the gooey substance into Clumsy's wounds and rubbed it in as firmly as possible. She repeated this several times until the unsettling burns had been well doused in Zjin saliva.

_This should help speed up the healing process a bit. In a few months all should be well again, _Golly informed him.

Clumsy nodded and sat up in the snow. His bright blue eyes shone like stars in the unfathomable night. "Thank you for your help," he replied shyly. Golly gave a forced grin before beginning to begin the trek back to the village. Clumsy strode beside her, his silence an easy companion for the introverted Golly. The snow seemed to understand this need for quiet and fell as though to cover their tracks.

Golly was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Clumsy's gasp of horror. She sensed his distress but carried on nonetheless, certain he was overreacting about the condition of his burns. It wasn't until the icy blue eyes glimmered hatefully through the trees that she understood what was happening.

_Tiber! No! He can't be….he couldn't have! How could he have tracked me down so fast? _Golly thought in dismay. She backed away from the beast with horror rising in her chest. _Clumsy…run. Don't look back. We're being stalked, _she warned the young imp as calmly as she could.

Clumsy let out an awful shriek and stumbled away from Tiber through the snow, but his escape was hampered by his constant tripping. Golly rolled her eyes and launched herself vigorously into the night sky. _What a fool! That isn't an escape-that's a way to get yourself killed! _Golly muttered. She thought she heard Clumsy yell in protest, but once again she could not hear a word he said. All that mattered to her was escaping from Tiber with all five souls intact.

Against a nagging emotion that lay somewhere in the very depths of her belly, Golly propelled herself onward through the now-ominous woods. She glanced quickly at the sky and noticed that light was beginning to creep over the sleeping horizon. She flapped her wings harder against her impending fate. If dawn washed over them before she had a chance to outfly Tiber, then all would be lost for both her and Clumsy.

Just when Golly thought that she had outflown her pursuer, a loud roar and a terrible ripping sound told her otherwise. Fearing the worst, she swiftly flew into the highest branches of a nearby oak tree and clung to her it with her emerald-green claws. She prayed that the scraggly naked branches would be enough to hide her from the lupine beast.

A sound of growling made Golly's bones vibrate with fear. With cold trickling down her spine like melted ice, she narrowed her eyes and gazed down at the snow-encrusted earth. The wolf-creature had cornered Clumsy in front of the very tree that she was hiding in. It bared its fangs with an air of menace as it prowled ever closer to the naïve Smurf. Golly could have sworn that she heard Clumsy's tiny heart beating with pure terror at being trapped by such a malignant animal.

"D-don't hurt me," Clumsy pleaded. His words had no effect on the vicious fiend. With a howl of rage, it lunged at Clumsy with its blade-sharp claws outstretched like the unforgiving talons of Death. A flurry of blood and snow soon followed, accompanied by eardrum-shredding screaming. By the time the wolf had finished its macabre task, Clumsy lay bleeding to death in the snow.

Golly had to blink several times before she was finally able to accept the fact that the irritating imp was actually dead. _Well, at least he won't be able to stop me from controlling the Elenbyr now, _Golly thought uncertainly. She was struggling to block the guilt that wriggled in her mind like an unwelcoming worm rising through mire. She knew full well that she could have saved Clumsy if she had tried, but instead she had heartlessly watched the gory murder as if it were no more important than a fly buzzing past her nose.

Golly glanced down towards the wolf to see if she could give it a good claw in the nose for the atrocious crime it had committed, but to her great surprise it had disappeared entirely. The only thing she could hear in the night was the eerie moaning of the wind. It seemed as if the night itself was mourning the death of the innocent creature and condemning the egregious killer at the same time.

_Well, perhaps I can clean up the body a bit and at least give him a decent burial, _Golly decided. She glided down towards the ground and landed gracefully next to the still body of Clumsy. Leaning over the lifeless Smurf with melancholy eyes, she began to gently lick away the blood that streaked across his body like branches crisscrossing the sky.

Under her tender tongue, the body shifted. Golly immediately pulled back from the corpse, shivering with the horror of the unknown. Had some mischievous sprite reanimated the carcass? Or was the tremble merely a wistful longing for Clumsy? Against her better judgment, she gave the corpse a cautious nudge with the tip of her berry-pink nose.

The body twitched again. No, he was definitely still alive. Without thinking, Golly pressed her nose against his forehead to check for heat. She could feel burning sweat shrouding the soft skin like a feverish cloak. Not only had Clumsy been seriously wounded from the encounter, he had also begun to show signs of a fever. If Golly was to save him, she would have to find a secure place to care for him and keep him warm.

Golly was just about to carry Clumsy back to the safety of the Smurf Village when the howl of the wolf that had mauled the young Smurf sounded again. She turned her head around just in time to see the demonical brute charging down a hill towards her. There was no time to waste. Clumsy's life was in her hands, and that meant that she would have to find a shelter somewhere else, for both her safety and the Smurfs'.

Golly threw herself into the air and flapped her wings with all the power she was capable of. She strained to cup as much air into her wings as possible, even though she knew her wings weren't developed enough to propel her that far. Her heart throbbed faster and faster with every minute as she fought to win the deadly chase. Sweat poured down her side, making her skin stickier than warm honey with every passing second.

Every yard she pulled ahead of the wolf seemed to also allow it to gain several feet on her. It would only be a matter of time before she failed and killed both herself and Clumsy. The thought of an early grave for both of them spurred her on more powerfully than any whip ever could. With a final lunge, she dove into a cave and waited fearfully for the end with her heart rising up into her throat.

The wolf crashed into a stalagmite with the force of a charging bull and lay as still as a dead log for what seemed like an eternity. For a while, Golly was convinced that the wolf was merely unconscious and that it would wake any minute to kill her. When several minutes passed with no sign of life coming from the wolf, Golly began to suspect that the impact had been enough to kill the crazed canine.

Warily, she padded across the cave floor and gave the wolf a hard shove in the face with her tail. It tumbled down a previously unseen slope and came to rest at the rocky bottom. It made no more movements after that. Golly was now certain that it was dead and she had nothing more to fear from any predator for the moment.

She turned back to check on Clumsy and almost shrieked in shock. His face was paler than a specter, but that was second only to the whiteness of his tiny eyelids. The bleeding wounds had yet to clot and would soon snuff out any life Clumsy had if they were not stopped.

Golly looked helplessly around the cave. She knew nothing about the art of healing whatsoever. She had never even had the experience of being sick and nursed back to health herself, so she had no memories to guide her. She was going to have to care for Clumsy herself. But if she was to save him, she had to do something now before Death snatched him up.

She sniffed the air, searching for the scent of herbs she could use for healing or wood she could use to start a fire. Strangely enough, an earthy scent found its way to Golly's keen nostrils. She scratched carefully at the snowy floor. Her persistent search was rewarded by the unearthed presence of a shriveled leaf.

Encouraged by her discovery, Golly continued to dig until she had uncovered a small tangle of branches. She stopped to ponder for a moment what she could do with them and glanced at Clumsy for inspiration. It suddenly occurred to her that an ill creature like him should have a proper bed. A cold stone floor would do him no good, and she definitely didn't plan to snuggle with him at night.

Gently, she picked up Clumsy by the scruff of his neck and deposited him in the branches. She stepped back for a moment and realized that a pile of twigs still wasn't enough to keep an ailing patient warm during frosty weather. She decided to dig in the snow again to see if she could find anything to add to the nest.

Golly continued to rummage for nest materials in the snow around the cave until she had collected enough leaves to provide a toasty covering for Clumsy's makeshift bed. She warmed them with her breath until they were dry before piling them up on top of Clumsy. Satisfied with her work, she lay on her belly next to him and again checked his temperature with her nose.

If Golly hadn't known that Clumsy was alive, she would have thought that he was a miniature statue thrown into a bellows by the intense heat emanating from his body. Panicked, she began to lick his forehead furiously in order to cool him down. This seemed to revive him, for Golly could have sworn she heard Clumsy muttering, "Stop it, that smurfs," under his breath.

Golly immediately pulled away from Clumsy in shock. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to wake up or not, as she still felt uncertain about her choice to save his life. Luckily for Golly, Clumsy merely rolled over and drifted back into sleep again. Golly heaved a sigh of relief, but her contentment didn't last for long. A couple of minutes later, Clumsy began to snore loudly enough to make the leaves in his nest vibrate.

Irritated by the noise, Golly got up and slapped Clumsy in the face with one of her wings. Clumsy woke with a start and sleepily opened his eyelids. "Gosh, Golly, I'm really tired….can't I smurf for five more minutes?" he protested.

_If you really want to be knocked out, I'd be happy to help you, _Golly bit. Injured or not, she still wasn't exactly enamored of the klutzy little imp.

Clumsy scooted backwards in his nest, startled by Golly's bitter retort. "Uh-on second thought, I think I'll just stay awake for now. I'm not really THAT smurfy," he stuttered. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to fall backwards in pain moments later. "Oww…..that wolf really smurfed me up! Ummm, does that stuff you rubbed into my burns help cuts too? Or is it just for Zjin poison?"

Golly would have told him that it was possible that Zjin saliva could heal wounds, but she never got the chance to tell him. That was because Clumsy suddenly began to cough violently.

At first, small globs of spittle shot from his mouth and hit the ground close to her paws. Then as the coughing gradually worsened, phlegm began to fly from his mouth. The phlegm soon gave way to chunks of half-digested food that Golly had to dodge every few seconds. Fortunately, the flood of disgusting substances slowed as Clumsy's coughing began to die down.

Golly was thoroughly disgusted by the young Smurf's coughing fit. She began to scrape the mucus and mushy Smurfberries off of her back. "Look, Golly, I'm really sorry that I spit up all that nasty stuff on you, but I'm just not feeling very smurfy…"Clumsy faltered. Golly turned her head towards him and stared at him for several moments before returning to cleaning up the mess Clumsy had created. She totally ignored him until she almost stepped on a puddle of blood staining the snow.

_What now? He can't possibly be hacking up blood…can he? _Golly groaned as she reluctantly spun around to face Clumsy. He appeared to be sleeping, but a trickle of red slithered down his cheek like the beginning of a river. More red coated his mouth and dribbled down his nose. It seemed that things were taking an unpleasant turn for the worst: Clumsy was indeed bleeding again.

Alarmed, Golly gave Clumsy a sharp nudge on the shoulder to wake him. She was expecting him to protest, but instead he merely opened his eyes to look at her. His pleading eyes told her everything: Clumsy's life was in grave danger. If Golly didn't take action immediately, he would soon die young in the isolated cave.

Golly tore her gaze away from the dying Clumsy and trotted outside to determine how far away the cave was from the village. She flew as high as she could into the sky and hovered for a few moments, taking in the landscape below. Try as she might, she just could not determine the distance from the cave to the village. Discouraged, she spiraled down and landed with a dejected plop back in front of the cave.

Golly prepared to break the disheartening news to Clumsy as she reentered the icy cave. But when she stepped back into their shelter, she could not find Clumsy anywhere. _Where are you?! _Golly screamed in despair.

When no answer came to her, she tore wildly around the cave in a frenetic attempt to locate him. She even ripped apart the nest to see if he was hidden from sight behind one of the branches, but there was not even so much as a drop of blood to give Golly any hint of Clumsy's whereabouts.

Dispirited by the apparent disappearance of Clumsy, Golly curled up on the floor of the cave and shut her eyes. She had no one to blame but herself for all that had befallen the helpless being. Clumsy's sweet voice seemed to haunt her ears as she slowly drifted off into a miserable sleep filled with dreams of aching desolation and loneliness.

…

Something kicked Golly in the belly like an irritable kangaroo. Her crystalline eyes snapped open to reveal a minute person snuggling up against her green-freckled belly. Golly's heart skipped a few beats. Could this little creature possibly be Clumsy? And if so, was he still alive after his long exposure to the cruel weather?

Golly sniffed the air. A familiar blue scent hit her nose, revealing to her that the thing cuddling her was indeed Clumsy. She leaned forward and pressed her ear to his side to listen to his heartbeat. She was shocked to discover that it was barely beating. She could not stall any longer-she was going to have to return Clumsy home right now or else he would succumb to the bitter cold.

Without waiting for an answer from Clumsy, Golly scooped up the imp in her talons and threw herself into the sky. Flapping her wings furiously, she reluctantly glanced around Clumsy's mind to search for directions to the Smurf Village. Among his scattered memories, she managed to procure enough information to guide her in the right direction. Golly narrowed her eyes and wheeled around to face the west. Speeding up her flapping rate, she soared over the forest, determined to get Clumsy home before Death snatched him away from her.

After what felt like two hours, Golly scanned Clumsy's mind again to see how far she was from the village. She was astonished when she realized that she was only a fourth of the way there and it would take many more hours before she finally arrived. Panicked, she forced her wings to work harder against the brisk wind. She blew out hot breath over Clumsy in order to warm him. He merely stirred a little before slumping over in Golly's claws once more.

It was a desperate race against time and death. Golly had never been more frantic to fly anywhere in her short life so far. Her wings ached with the pain of being strained against their limits, but she continued to flap them as hard and fast as she could. She was panting and dripping with sweat despite the cold, but she hardly noticed. The only thing she was aware of in the entire world was the faint beat of Clumsy's tiny heart. Nothing else mattered to her except feeling it throb against her claws. If it were to stop beating, everything would be lost. Life itself would dim in her eyes if she was to fail on her errand.

At last the village came into view of her sharp eagle eyes. Golly aimed herself at the village and threw herself into a steep dive. She accelerated as she fell like a comet towards the frozen ground. The tension was almost unbearable. She wondered if perhaps she had been imagining feeling Clumsy's heartbeat over the last few hours. Maybe it was all a fevered dream.

Just as this last thought entered Golly's mind, she crashed through the invisible barrier and collapsed in a heap on the ground. For several moments, she wasn't even able to think. She gasped for air and tried to call for help, but her throat burned with dry soreness. She flopped down onto the ground and whipped her tail against the earth, hoping that the noise might be loud enough to attract some attention.

As it turned out, a Zjin crashing into the Smurf Village was in and of itself a feat worthy of the attention of all one-hundred-and-something Smurfs. Before long, a crowd had gathered around Golly, discussing amongst them about why on Earth the snippy little Zjin had landed so unceremoniously in their village.

"What on Smurf is THIS for? What does she think she's tryin' to do; kill us?!"

"Calm down, Gutsy, I'm sure it isn't THAT bad. Maybe she's trying to talk to Handy again..?"

"Well, in that case, I'm gonna show her what a REAL Smurf is like! And she isn't gonna forget it soon either!"

"Gutsy, no! You can't! You'll just get yourself turned into Smurf haggis!"

"What's the big deal?! She's probably just trying to act innocent so we'll let her in and destroy everything! And if that's the case-well-she'd better go find some OTHER gullible forest critters instead!"

"Are you sure? She looks hurt-and what happened to Clumsy? Oh, he's bleeding, the poor thing!"

"B-blood? I always f-faint at the sight of b-blood….s-somebody catch me; I think I'm smurfing…"

"Scaredy, you're such a wimp! He isn't even BLEEDING that-"

The hubbub of the crowd died down as Papa Smurf began making his way through the gathering of Smurfs. He eventually stopped in front of the panting Zjin and calmly looked her in the eye. "Golly, do you mind telling me what has happened to both you and Clumsy?" Papa asked. "You look like you've been attacked by a venomous dragon."

_No, we were attacked…by a huge…wolf…. _Golly puffed. _It clawed Clumsy…very injured…he has a high fever….I can barely feel…heartbeat….care for him…before…Death eats him…. _Too exhausted to speak any more, she laid her head on the ground and closed her heavy eyes. Sleep consumed her as Papa tenderly pried Clumsy from her talons and dragged him away to his mushroom.

Kat immediately padded off after Clumsy. Her green eyes shone with worry as Papa began to approach his and Mama's mushroom. "Papa, do you think he'll be OK? He looks so horrible…and he's not moving," Kat whispered as Papa opened the door. He lifted his eyebrows in reply to Kat before pulling Clumsy into the house and lifting him up onto the sofa.

Kat raised her own eyebrows and glanced at Papa, wondering what he had been trying to say to her. Papa shrugged and looked at her with solemn eyes that clearly said _I'm not exactly sure. _Kat nodded, trying to hide the wave of uneasiness that was swelling within her. She plopped onto a chair next to the couch, stoically looking on as Papa assessed Clumsy's injuries.

Kat practically jumped out of her chair when a loud knock resounded through the humble mushroom. "Kat, do you mind smurfing up and answering the door? Clumsy's in too dire a condition for me to leave his side right now," Papa requested.

"Okay," Kat replied. She jumped nimbly to her feet and trotted up to the door of Papa Smurf's home. She timidly pulled it open to reveal a red-nosed Brainy waiting impatiently on the doormat. Kat blinked several times in shock. She had thought that Brainy was sick in bed with the sniffles. Why had he come here of all places when he should have been recuperating at home?

Brainy answered her question before she even spoke it out loud. "I'm here because according to my calculations, Clumsy Smurf is dying from fever and wolf bites and unless he gets the proper potion in time, he'll be ninety-nine percent deader than a doorknob," Brainy stated bluntly.

"B-but….Clumsy's really sick…I-I don't know if he'll be able to handle v-visitors yet," Kat spluttered.

"That doesn't matter," Brainy replied in an offhand manner. "If Clumsy is going to die, then I want to see one last time…and let him know what a smurfy friend he wa-ahem, I mean IS."

Kat smiled shyly at this rare compliment. Brainy was usually an arrogant, selfish Smurf whose praise was mostly directed at his own genius. To show up at what could very well be Clumsy's deathbed was unusually considerate of him. It just went to show how important the klutzy young Smurf meant to the self-centered know-it-all.

"So…are you going to smurf open the door or not?" Brainy snapped. Kat jolted out of her reverie and respectfully held open the door for Brainy. Without even a thank-you, Brainy stormed through the door and sat down hard on the chair Kat had formerly been sitting on. "Is he going to smurf or not? Tell me now or else I'm going to tell everyone else that the great Papa Smurf couldn't save one measly klutz from smurfing to death," Brainy demanded.

"Brainy, be patient! I'm still bandaging his wounds!" Papa scolded. He looked over his shoulder and called, "Mama, can you come over here for a minute? Clumsy's bleeding half to smurf and I need to get up and brew him a fever-reducing potion."

"All right, just let me finish this herbal brew first!" Mama called back somewhat irritably. Papa muttered something unintelligible under his breath before continuing to tend to Clumsy's injuries.

Three minutes later, Mama scurried around the corner, holding a thin flask with a light green liquid inside it. She halted when she saw Clumsy lying unconscious and bleeding on the couch. "Papa? What on Earth happened to him? He looks horrible! Oh, my poor, sweet little Clumsy!" Mama cried. She placed her flask on a nearby table and hurried to his side. Tears filled her beautiful blue eyes as she stared hopelessly at Clumsy's deathly pale countenance.

"Golly told me that he was attacked by a wolf and that he somehow got a bad fever. She didn't tell me anything else….I'll have to smurf the full story out of her later," Papa explained. "In the meantime, do you mind caring for Clumsy while I go brew up a potion to reduce his fever? He isn't going to live for very long if I don't give him medicine right away."

"How…how long is it going to take you to brew the potion then?" Mama inquired worriedly.

Papa hung his head. He was silent for what felt like years before he finally spoke. "Probably about three hours. But by the time I finish….Clumsy might not still be alive to drink it."

"T-that's horrible!" Kat gasped. Her tail stood on end at the mere thought of Clumsy's death. Tears filled her eyes as she imagined her clumsy friend's name carved onto a gravestone: "Clumsy Smurf-a smurfy friend, collector of rocks, creator of accidents, savior of the Smurfs in New York, only Smurf to receive honors in the Smurfic Games. We'll always miss you…"

Brainy placed a hand on Kat's shoulder, startling her out of her disturbing reverie. She noticed that he looked rather upset himself. "Are you _sure_ the fastest time for a fever potion is three hours? Because if you can't save Clumsy, then I don't want to be your apprentice anymore," Brainy questioned. Kat was pretty sure that wasn't the worst of the things he'd do if Papa wasn't able to save Clumsy-after all, Clumsy had been his best friend since they were Smurflings.

"Well, I don't know! I can't make time go any faster, can I?" Papa stuttered.

"Well, you could always ask Father Time to speed things up so you don't have to wait hours upon hours for the potion to finish brewing," Brainy suggested loudly.

"But Clumsy would be dead by the time we got to Father Time's house! Really, Brainy, there's nothing I can do. We'll just have to wait and see. And if Clumsy dies…well…at least Smurfette will be able to help you handle it."

"But I don't WANT Clumsy to die! He's my best friend! I mean, how would YOU feel if Mama was so sick that SHE might die?"

"Brainy! That's enough! I'm going to brew that fever potion right now, and if Clumsy is dead before I finish it, then-"

"Guys, stop it! I don't WANT to think about what might happen if Clumsy were to…to…to…" Kat wailed. She couldn't handle all this discussion of death and illness any longer. Pierced by the impending arrows of death, she slumped over in defeat and cried noisily into her fluffy white tail. Her petite body was wracked with sobs, and her once-white cat tail soon become green with snot.

Kat couldn't deny the specter of death any longer-it loomed over the quaint room like a stormcloud on the horizon. It wouldn't be long before the storm struck and washed away Clumsy's existence like rain washing away saplings. When that happened, she knew her heart would explode into a million pieces. At least, it would unless she used some of her secret necromancy skills to revive Clumsy. But the last time she had used them was such a disaster that she was already having second thoughts about bringing Clumsy back.

"Papa…I'm not sure if this will help or not, but this herbal brew I just mixed up might have a beneficial effect on Clumsy," Mama said, breaking the painful silence that had formerly prevented any conversation. "It's just a general cure-all, but if it were to work…it might help him get through the next three hours while you brew the potion. Should I test it out and see if it helps him?"

Papa gave a wordless nod of approval. Mama hesitantly tiptoed towards Clumsy and carefully opened his mouth. She picked up the vial and tipped it so that a single drop of the herbal liquid fell into Clumsy's mouth. When nothing happened, Mama poured in another drop, closed Clumsy's jaw, and gently pushed back his head so that the medicine ran down his throat. She stepped back and sat down, waiting to see if her brew would have any effect on him.

Five minutes passed by with no obvious effect. Everyone looked at each other anxiously, but not a single one of them could provide any comfort. It was clear that Clumsy was past help now. If he did not revive soon, then his soul was lost forever. Based on the current circumstances, his chances of survival didn't look particularly promising.

When fifteen more minutes had passed without a sign of life from Clumsy, everyone knew what that sinking feeling in their chests was telling them. Nobody wanted to say it aloud, but there was no need to restate the obvious. Clumsy had died. There was no going back to save him now.

"Clumsy!" Kat sobbed. She buried her head in her hands, ignoring Mama's reassuring hand on her back. She didn't want anyone to make her feel better. No one could ever make her feel better ever again. Clumsy had died, and that was the only thing that was real to her now. She had only known Clumsy for a year or so, but he had been such a charming and warmhearted friend to her that she couldn't picture anyone else filling the gap that his death had left behind. She could only imagine how Brainy must be feeling.

"I'm not going to be your apprentice anymore! You wasted so much time worrying about Clumsy dying that he-he-he DID die! And-and-and he was my Best Smurf Friend!" Brainy cried. Wiping his eyes, he turned on his heels and stomped out of the laboratory, scowling angrily.

Kat looked back down at her lap, overwhelmed by the consuming tide of grief. It wasn't until she heard the cough and saw the blood in her lap that she knew that her heart was still whole-aching and shocked, but still whole.

The gap that Clumsy had left in death had disappeared like a mirage in the sun. Like a mirage itself, the storm that was Death had only been warning clouds in the sky. The destructive lightning of death hadn't struck after all.


End file.
